UTAH COUNTY, Utah, Dec. 13, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A man arrested on Interstate 15 in Utah County on Friday was found to have approximately 90 marijuana joints in his vehicle, as well as cocaine and nearly $1,800 in cash.
A probable cause statement from Utah County said Jose Refujio Gomez, 22, from Las Vegas, is facing charges of:
- 3 counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony
- Cause/permit child or vulnerable adult to be exposed to a controlled substance, a third-degree felony
On Friday afternoon, deputies were traveling north on I-15 when a black Nissan Altima with a California plate was observed straddling the lines between lanes three and two and then again between lanes one and two, the arresting officer wrote.
The officer initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and made contact with the driver, identified as Gomez. The officer then asked Gomez if he had been drinking or consuming anything that could impair him or if he had been distracted by something while driving.
Gomez said he hadn’t been drinking or using drugs; the officer wrote he noticed the suspect’s eyes were bloodshot and he was asked exit the vehicle. The officer conducted a horizontal gaze nystagmus test and did not observe any clues. A records check was then run on the vehicle and driver license. Gomez told the officer the vehicle was a rental and provided the rental agreement paperwork.
“While speaking with Gomez and the front seat passenger, I detected the odor of marijuana coming from the open passenger window,” the statement said. “I asked the pair if there was marijuana in the vehicle, and the passenger confirmed there was, and produced three prepackaged marijuana joints, two of which were consumed, from the passenger door compartment.”
A probable cause search was conducted of the vehicle. Officers allegedly found 90 prepackaged, raw marijuana joints totaling 180 grams, five jars of THC wax totaling 139.5 grams, cocaine totaling 58.3 grams, a 2 gram THC vape cartridge, three marijuana joint tubes, and $1,793, mostly in $5 and $20 bills.
Gomez and the passenger were placed under arrest and transported to the Utah County Jail. Gomez’s bail was set at $10,000. The passenger, who is a juvenile, was transported to Slate Canyon Youth Center and booked on drug charges.
