On April 3, 2024, more than 3 pounds of methamphetamine and a suspected firearm were recovered during a traffic stop near Exit 10 on Interstate 15 northbound in Washington County, Utah.Photo courtesy of Washington City Police Department, St. George News
ST. George — Two men are in jail after discrepancies in travel records, evasive maneuvers and suspicious activity on Interstate 15 northbound led to a search that turned up more than 3 pounds of suspected methamphetamine. .
As part of Operation Crime Stoppers in Washington County, troopers were stationed on Interstate 15 near the Utah-Arizona border facing northbound traffic.
Wednesday, a trooper noticed two vehicles traveling in tandem as they headed north along the interstate. Troopers said the black BMW was traveling less than a car length behind the black Kia, both of which had California plates.
According to the indictment filed in support of the arrest, two patrol officers caught up with the vehicle near the St. George Boulevard exit and noticed that the BMW's window tint appeared darker than the legal limit. There were also objects hanging from the dashboard and rearview mirror, which allegedly obstructed the driver's view.
After both vehicles changed lanes without signaling, one of the officers attempted to stop the first vehicle, the report said. It is alleged that the BMW closed the following distance, making it impossible for the officer to get into position behind the Kia.
The maneuver aroused the officers' suspicions because the maneuver is often used to thwart interdiction efforts by law enforcement, agents said in an affidavit. A second officer stopped the BMW near the Green Spring Drive exit for several suspected traffic and tinting violations, while the Kia drove off 200 yards north of where the BMW was stopped. It was stopped not far away.
The driver of the BMW, Christian Isaiah Morris, 23, of Grand Terrace, Calif., said he was driving behind a Kia that had stopped just before the crash, adding that the driver of the lead vehicle was his cousin.
While the officer was writing the warning, the driver said he was heading to Omaha, Nebraska, to visit a cousin and family. The report said officers became suspicious after hearing about the trip because it seemed odd for two men to travel across the country in two separate cars to the same destination.
When asked why the two did not travel together, the suspect paused and said, “Because,” without offering any further explanation.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Kia, Vance Remian Collins II, 41, of Hemet, Calif., appeared “visibly nervous” and became flustered by the officer's simplest requests, the report said. It is written.
During a conversation with police officers, Collins initially said, “I'm going to Colorado because my family is deaf,'' and when the officer asked where the driver was going, the suspect replied, “I don't really know.'' ” he is said to have replied. I will call you when I arrive,” the officer wrote, adding that the statement seemed “unusual to the average motorist.”
The suspect went on to say he was going to Colorado to attend a funeral and denied knowing the driver of the BMW. He also said he didn't know the BMW was on his bumper.
Due to the driver's level of nervousness and inconsistencies in his description of his travel plans, officers suspected he may be involved in some sort of criminal activity and were detained.
When the K-9 was deployed to freely sniff the air around the exterior of the vehicle, the animal alerted to the possible presence of drugs and focused on the driver's side area of the vehicle. Ta.
Upon searching the vehicle, officers found three large bundles wrapped in plastic and dryer sheets hidden inside bags of clothing. The bundle contained approximately 3 to 5 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.
Officers also recovered two handguns wrapped in clothing that were in a second bag. In a conversation with police, the suspect told police he had traveled to Southern California to pick up the suspected drugs and was on his way to Omaha, where he was scheduled to drop off the shipment, police said.
Meanwhile, officers had written up a written warning for the driver of the BMW, Morris, who was taken into custody after his luggage was recovered from the Kia.
When a K-9 was deployed to sniff free air around the outside of the BMW, the animal alerted them to the possible presence of drugs near the passenger side of the vehicle. A gray plastic bag similar to the one in the Kia was found inside the vehicle, and officers suspected the bundle had been transported at some point and was later smelled by a K-9.
During the investigation, officers reportedly identified the suspects as He headed to Southern California to pick up drug suspects that were scheduled to be dropped in Omaha.
Morris immediately refused to speak to agents, but Collins “sticked to his story” and denied knowing the driver of the BMW, who told officers the two were cousins.
Both suspects were arrested and booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility and each charged with second-degree felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Collins also faces two third-degree felony weapons charges. Morris' bail is set at $5,000, while Collins' bail is set at $10,000.
The Crime Suppression Team includes personnel from Homeland Security Investigations, Utah Department of Public Safety, Washington County Sheriff's Office, Washington City Police Department, and other agencies across the state.
This report is based on statements from court records, police, or other responding parties and may not include the full scope of the findings. A person arrested or charged is presumed innocent until convicted in a court of law or until determined otherwise by a trier of fact.
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