ST. GEORGE —A suspect is in jail facing multiple charges following a traffic stop on Interstate 15 following a search of a vehicle that yielded more than 5 pounds of illegal narcotics bound for Colorado.
On Sunday, an officer heading north on I-15 just south of the Washington Parkway Exit conducted a traffic stop on a white passenger car that was reportedly swerving in and out of its lane of travel.
According to court documents, the officer approached and spoke to the driver, 34-year-old Brett Anthony Jones, of Clifton, Colorado, who told the officer that the vehicle with Maryland plates was a rental.
The driver also reportedly told the officer there was a loaded firearm in the driver’s side compartment.
As the officer was writing up the citation, a K-9 officer arrived and conducted a free-air sniff around the outside of the car, which is when the animal abruptly stopped, turned toward the front passenger side door and sat down – a response indicating the possible presence of narcotics.
When asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, Jones said there were 3 ounces of cocaine inside a backpack located on the backseat of the car, the report states. And upon further inquiry, police say Jones also said he had “five pounds of methamphetamine” in the vehicle as well.
“I then informed Brett I appreciated his honesty and began a search of the vehicle,” the officer noted in the report.
During the search of the driver’s side compartment, officers recovered a Taurus pistol as well as a second firearm from the center console of the car. A records check on the serial numbers indicated that neither was reported as stolen, police said.
Inside the black backpack, officers found three plastic bags containing what appeared to be cocaine. In the trunk, officers recovered a large plastic case containing five plastic bags of suspected meth weighing 1 pound each.
During questioning, Jones reportedly said that the cocaine was “purchased for him” and that he had planned to distribute the cocaine to friends “as a party favor.”
Police say they further learned that Jones was paid to transport the meth from California to Colorado for distribution.
The total street value of the narcotics seized was estimated to be approximately $130,000.
Jones was arrested and booked into jail in Washington County facing two second-degree felony counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and two third-degree felony firearms charges. He remains in custody without bail.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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