A traffic stop in Box Butte County led to five people being arrested after law enforcement officers located more than a pound of marijuana in the vehicle.
According to the Affidavit for Custody, on Jan. 11, a State Trooper saw a 2007 Honda Accord with a Wisconsin license plate traveling northbound on Highway 385. The trooper saw the vehicle slow to 71 miles per hour from 75 miles per hour.
After initiating a traffic stop, the trooper approached the vehicle’s passenger side and detected the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver provided his license to the trooper before the trooper was advised the vehicle belonged to a passenger in the back seat. He was also told that the registration for the vehicle was located in the trunk and that the vehicle was not insured.
The trooper advised the driver that it would be necessary to complete a probable cause search due to the odor of marijuana, and asked the driver to be honest about any marijuana in the vehicle. According to the affidavit, “The driver indicated he was unaware and indicated he was simply driving the car.”
As the other occupants of the vehicle were removed, they were searched and asked to stand in the ditch. The front seat passenger, according to the affidavit, admitted to there being marijuana in the trunk.
During the search, the trooper located packages of cigarillos, a 3.5g dispensary marijuana canister with a small amount of marijuana still inside. Another trooper assisted with the search, and in the trunk, they located two dispensary canisters, each containing one ounce of marijuana.
The troopers also found a blue gym bag containing approximately 15 ounces of marijuana. The items were seized as evidence and the troopers determined that, because of the amount, it was not for personal use.
Keng Lee, of Sheboygan, Wis., Evann Belvin, of Sioux Falls, S.D., Jeremy Ramirez, of Howard Grove, Wis., Orlando Oliva-Sosa, of Sheboygan, Wis., and Sebastian Natal, of Sheboygan, Wis., were identified as the occupants of the vehicle.
The trooper advised them of their rights, and asked if they would speak with him. All refused, except Belvin, who told the trooper they were returning from Denver, where they had spent two days. He said the others picked him up in Sioux Falls, where he had moved from Sheboygan, Wis. in December.
Belvin, when asked about the marijuana, told the trooper they had went to different dispensaries to purchase the marijuana. He also, according to the affidavit, “admitted to only buying a small amount for him to smoke after he got off of probation in April.” He advised he was on probation for marijuana-related offenses.
According to the affidavit, Belvin told the trooper he had purchased ounces from dispensaries for the others, “but not with his own money.”
They were all taken into custody for possession of marijuana over 1 pound, a class 4 felony, possession of a Schedule 1, 2 or 3 controlled substance with intent to distribute, a class 2A felony, and possession of drug paraphernalia, an infraction. Lee was also charged with speeding 6-10 MPH, an infraction.
The vehicle was inventoried and towed from the scene.
Each of the individuals was arraigned in Box Butte County Court, with the exception of Lee, who failed to appear.