EMERY COUNTY, Utah, Feb. 5, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A North Carolina man driving on a suspended license was stopped Thursday by Utah Highway Patrol troopers for going 15 mph over the speed limit, but was arrested on multiple felony charges after a loaded pistol and drugs including 20 pounds of marijuana were found in his trunk.
The incident happened at 10:24 a.m. on Interstate 70 near mile marker 141, a probable cause statement from the Utah Highway Patrol says.
“Upon contacting the driver, I could detect a strong odor of raw marijuana coming from inside the vehicle,” the reporting officer wrote. “I asked the driver if he had a medical marijuana card and he stated no. As I was interacting with the driver I could also detect the odor of burnt marijuana, when I asked the driver about it he stated he smoked it this morning. Due to the odors I had the driver exit out of his vehicle to search it for marijuana.”
A second trooper helped with the search of the vehicle. The two were “able to located marijuana in a black bag sitting on the passenger seat. Also inside the black bag was methamphetamine, and concentrated wax marijuana. He also had several new small plastic baggies and two scales for distribution amounts for the three types of drugs. The driver also had raw marijuana inside the trunk of his vehicle with an approximate weight of 20 pounds.”
A records check determined the driver license of suspect Frank Edward Biddle Jr. determined the suspect’s North Carolina license was suspended.
“The driver also had a glass pipe for smoking the methamphetamine and he had several pipes for marijuana,” the trooper’s statement says. “The driver also had three vape style marijuana devices in the vehicle. Inside the center console of the vehicle the driver had a loaded Glock 19 pistol with one in the chamber. The driver is a convicted felon and a restricted person who should not have had possession of a firearm.”
Biddle, 35, faces charges of:
- Possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person, a second-degree felony
- Three counts of distribute/arrange distribution of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony
- Possession of a controlled substances, marijuana/spice, a third-degree felony
- Two counts of possession of a controlled substances, marijuana/spice, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Drive on a suspended/revoked license, a class C misdemeanor
- Speeding, an infraction
Biddle is being held without bail.
