JEFFERSON, Iowa — Two brothers from Scranton were arrested in Jefferson Thursday after allegedly ditching a backpack full of marijuana before pulling over for police.
Dalton Lee Weber, 22, of 704 Walnut St., Scranton, was charged with a controlled substance violation and failure to affix drug tax stamp.
Nicholas Scott Weber, 20, of 609 State St., Scranton, was charged with obstructing prosecution or defense, failure to affix drug tax stamp and a controlled substance violation.
The incident began about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, when an officer of the Jefferson Police Department spotted a suspended driver, Dalton Weber, operating a vehicle on 220th Street (U.S. Highway 30) near M Avenue.
According to court records, the officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but Weber refused to stop.
As the vehicle was approaching the intersection of 220th Street and M Avenue, the officer witnessed “a black, white and red backpack thrown from the vehicle at that time within 1,000 feet of the Greene County High School,” according to court records.
The vehicle later stopped after turning southward on North Grimmell Road.
The backpack was located in the ditch, and the officer detected the “pungent odor of marijuana” coming from the backpack, according to court records. A search of the backpack disclosed “several containers containing marijuana and weighing scales.”
The Webers are held in the Greene County Jail in advance of an initial appearance in Greene County District Court. They face enhanced penalties because the alleged crime occurred within 1,000 feet of a school, according to court records.
Dalton Weber was arrested in June on charges of child endangerment, second-offense domestic abuse assault and false imprisonment. The case is pending in Greene County District Court.
Nicholas Weber was convicted of first-offense possession of a controlled substance-marijuana in March in Greene County District Court.
*A criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
