NEPHI, Utah, Dec. 4, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Two people were booked into the Emery County jail overnight after a Utah Highway Patrol trooper allegedly found 44 pounds of cocaine under the seats of the stolen vehicle they were in.
The Nephi-based trooper spotted the vehicle speeding eastbound on Interstate 70 near mile marker 140, say arrest documents for Kristeena Ann Johnson, 38, and Michael Leon McCay Morphy, 37.
Morphy was driving the white Hyundai Genesis the officer stopped.
The Hyundai was traveling at least 71 mph in a 60 mph zone, and was missing a back licence plate, say arrest documents filed for the man and woman.
Asked for registration and insurance documents, Morphy told the officer “he did not have anything for the vehicle as he had recently purchased the vehicle from a guy in Georgia,” court documents say. “I asked Morphy if he had the bill of sale and he informed me he did not. I recorded the VIN number and returned to my patrol vehicle.”
A check of the VIN number revealed the vehicle had been reported as stolen.
The trooper asked McCay about his travels and his work, Johnson’s probable cause statement says. Johnson said he was taking his girlfriend from Las Vegas to Devern to show her snow. He also said he worked as a hotshot driver and has multiple cars and houses throughout the country.
The trooper noticed the scent of alcohol on the driver as he spoke, the arrest document says. The trooper summoned another officer with a K-9, then asked the driver about the scent, “and he seemed to become more nervous but denied drinking. I also asked if there was anything inside of the vehicle while the K-9 was performing a sniff.”
Morphy admitted to having 7 grams of raw marijuana, and said he had a medical card that allowed it, but was unable to provide it, the court documents say. He was secured in the patrol vehicle’s cage, and the K-9 searched turned up the marijuana, which was not labeled as medical, the statement says.
“I then noticed the driver side of the vehicle had some plastic messed with by the driver door,” the trooper’s statement says. “We were able to pull up the carpet and noticed a 90-degree angle under the seat and the carpet was glued down. … We could also see the tape and an altered compartment that was built in under the two front seats.
“We then pulled up the center console and were able to see kilo sized packages clearly wrapped up hidden under the two seats.”
“At this point we cut out the front passenger seat and were able to locate a hidden compartment with 20 kilos of a white powder that was later field tested positive for cocaine.”
Twenty kilos is the same as 44 pounds. According to a 2021 article from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, that amount of cocaine has a street value of more than $1 million.
McCay and Johnson were transported to UHP’s Green River field office, where McCay declined a breath test for alcohol, and he and Johnson also declined to speak with officers post Miranda. They were transported to the Emery County jail.
Johnson was booked for investigation of:
- Possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony
- Facilitate the store/conceal/transport of contraband in vehicle, a third-degree felony
Morphy was booked for investigation of:
- Receive or transfer stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony
Both were ordered held without bail.
