ST. GEORGE — Two suspects have been indicted in federal court, including a California man arrested with 24 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in June. The second suspect was indicted for unlawful entry into the United States, the fourth such federal charge filed against him since 2006.
On Wednesday, 59-year-old California man, Ramon Amador Zapien, of Bellflower, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. George on one federal count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The indictment stems from a traffic stop on June 3, in Washington City where an officer pulled a black BMW over for expired registration and suspected lane violations.
During the encounter, a K-9 officer responded and deployed the animal to conduct a free-air sniff around the outside of the vehicle. After a positive indication alert, officers conducted a search of the vehicle and allegedly found 24 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in the trunk bundled in plastic.
Zapien was arrested and booked into jail in Washington County. One month later, federal prosecutors picked up the case he was indicted on the trafficking charge. During the hearing, federal prosecutors argued for continued detention, stating there were no conditions or combination of conditions that would reasonably assure the safety of the community.
Additionally, given the weight of the potential 10-year prison sentence he is facing, the defendant poses a significant flight risk if released, as well as a current immigration hold placed on the defendant at the time of his arrest, as stated in the detention motion filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brady Wilson.
U.S. District Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler then ordered that Zapien remain in federal custody pending trial.
Reckless driver calls lead to arrest in Washington County
A second defendant, 35-year-old Esteban Espino-Pinon, also appeared Wednesday before Kohler for a detention hearing on two federal charges, including one count each of alien in possession of a firearm and reentry of previously removed alien, after his state case was forwarded to federal prosecutors by the Washington County Drug Task Force.
The defendant was indicted following a traffic stop on May 31, when Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to search for a vehicle in response to calls reporting a reckless driver on state Route 18. Shortly thereafter, the suspect was stopped near mile marker 11 in Washington County.
Deputies allegedly found the suspect with an open can of beer in the vehicle, along with a handgun and ammunition. The suspect was arrested after allegedly failing field sobriety test and he was booked into jail for suspected DUI, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, along with possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and paraphernalia and an open container charge.
Following the arrest, the suspect was indicted in federal court after it was discovered that Pinon was in the country illegally. In fact, federal prosecutors allege, this was the fourth unlawful reentry into the United States over the past 10 years or so. In 2010, the defendant was deported from Hidalgo, Texas and then from New Mexico three years later.
Each removal followed an arrest for criminal activity involving firearms or illegal narcotics, the indictment states. During an arrest in May, officers found a Springfield Armory 9mm handgun on top of a toolbox right behind the center console of the vehicle, along with the suspected marijuana and methamphetamine that were also recovered from the car.
Federal prosecutors argued for detention in this case as well, citing the defendant was a restricted person in possession of a handgun at the time of his arrest, in addition to repeated reentries and deportations from the country, factors that suggested the defendant would pose a significant flight risk if released.
The judge agreed and ordered that Pinon remain in custody while his federal case proceeds through the court.
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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