Two out-of-state travelers were arrested Wednesday morning on U.S. Interstate 80 after being found allegedly in possession of five pounds of pot.
Rovel Kiflemariam Woldemicael, 33, of 5361 Pioneer Ave, #201, Las Vegas, Nevada, was charged with a controlled substance violation, failure to affix drug stamp and keeping premises or vehicle for a controlled substance violation.
Erick Michael Braswell Thompson, 28, of 741 Lyon St. N.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan, was charged with a controlled substance violation, failure to affix drug stamp and keeping premises or vehicle for a controlled substance violation.
The incident began about 7:15 a.m. Wednesday near the 115 mile marker of eastbound U.S. Interstate 80, where an Iowa State Patrol Trooper initiated a traffic stop of a 2020 Kia Sportage with Tennessee plates.
According to court records, the trooper made contact with the driver, Woldemicael, and passenger, Braswell Thompson, and the trooper “could smell the obvious odor of raw marijuana” and “observed indicators of criminal activity.”
A probable-cause search of the vehicle disclosed “five one-pound, vacuum-sealed packages of raw marijuana in the rear tire well” and what the trooper believed was “most likely the ‘burner phone’ used to deliver the marijuana,” according to court records.
Woldemicael is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 9 in Dallas County District Court.
Braswell Thompson is held in the Dallas County Jail on a $5,000 cash or surety bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Oct. 9 in Dallas County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
