An Altoona man was arrested on a Dallas County warrant Wednesday on drug-dealing charges stemming from an October incident in Adel.
Robert Lamont Mitchell Jr., 57, of 706 Ninth St. N.W., Altoona, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, failure to affix tax stamp and third-offense possession of a controlled substance.
The incident began Oct. 10 about 5:15 p.m., when someone from the Adel offices of R.D. McKinney Plumbing and Excavating Inc. reported seeing a backpack in Mitchell’s possession that contained about “20 grams of crystal methamphetamine, more than one gram of marijuana, several paper drug bundles, several small plastic baggies, several glass pipes and a digital scale,” according to court records.
A warrant for Mitchell’s arrest was not issued until Oct. 14 by Dallas County Magistrate Donna Mae Schauer. In the meantime, Mitchell was arrested in Boone Oct. 11 shortly after midnight, when Boone County Sheriff’s Deputies observed his vehicle traveling eastward in the westbound lanes of U.S. Highway 30.
A traffic stop was followed by a search of Mitchell’s vehicle, where deputies found about “30.7 grams of methamphetamine without a tax stamp and 27.8 grams of marijuana, multiple small baggies with amounts written on them such as 1/16, and 1/8,” and other paraphernalia, according to court records.
Mitchell was charged in Boone County District Court with possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, failure to affix tax stamp, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving the wrong way on a four-lane highway and obstructed view or control.
Mitchell was transported Wednesday from the Boone County Jail to the Dallas County Jail for a Dec. 13 preliminary hearing in Dallas County District Court. His trial in Boone County District Court is scheduled for Jan. 14.
Mitchell was convicted of possession of methamphetamine in 1994 and 1999 in Webster County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
