SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, June 1, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A traffic stop Wednesday morning resulted in a drugs and weapon arrest in Salt Lake City.
Officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Pioneer Bike Division stopped the man after he stopped past the marked stop line at a red traffic light, at 200 South and 900 West.
“Upon stopping for a traffic stop, it was discovered that the 19-year-old AP (arrested party) only had a learner permit,” says a probable cause statement filed in the arrest of Anthony Spells.
“Anthony was asked to exit the vehicle and upon his exit, an unsecured handgun was seen inside of his waistband. Anthony was placed in handcuffs and the firearm was secured. A search of his person discovered $1,963 and large amounts of a white, rock-like, substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
“The cocaine was located concealed in a plastic bag inside of his underwear. A plastic baggie of blue, circular pills were also discovered inside of his underwear. Based on my training and experience, I know these pills to be sold to individuals and are suspected fentanyl.”
Spells was charged on suspicion of:
- Two counts of possession with intent to distribute a C/substances, a second degree felony
- Purchase, transfer, possess or use of a firearm by restricted person, a third-degree felony
- Traffic control signal violation, an infraction
- Violation of learner’s permit, an infraction
An SLCPD news release issued in the case says the suspect was found in possession of “150 grams of crack cocaine, about 60 fentanyl pills, and almost $2,000 dollars in cash.”
Spells was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system with bail set at $25,000. As of Thursday afternoon, he was no longer listed among the inmates.
