On Sunday, June 9, 2002 at about 9:00am the deputy stopped the driver of a 1994 Kenworth tractor-trailer after observing a traffic violation on eastbound I-44 west of Rolla. During a conversation with the truck driver, the officer became suspicious and called for a drug sniffing K-9. The dog then alerted to the odor of narcotics in the trailer. The truck and trailer were then taken to the Rolla Recycling Center where the cargo was off-loaded. Behind several pallets of mattress stuffing officers found 16 large steel boxes and one partial pallet of cardboard boxes. A total of 9,668 pounds of marihuana was recovered from the trailer. The driver, Pedro Guiterrez age 28 of Lyons, IL was arrested for 1st Degree Drug Trafficking.
Taking the investigation further, officers from the sheriff’s department and St Louis Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration traveled to Chicago, IL where a controlled delivery of the marihuana was completed. That delivery resulted in 9 additional arrests. The marihuana has a street value of nearly $31,000,000.
In another arrest on June 9 officers from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department arrested Jeremy Molacek age 25 of Hemet, CA after the officers found 163 pounds of marihuana in his rental car. Molacek is currently being held in lieu of bond.
May 17, 2002 6:45pm Louis “Butch” Leake age 59 of Cuba was arrested for Sale of Marihuana and Possession of Marihuana with the Intent to Distribute. He was later released on a $30,000 bond.
May 19, 2002 7:44am: Edward J. Stevenson age 44 and Kristin C. Stoops age 36 were both arrested for 1st Degree Drug Trafficking after officers found 600 pounds of marihuana in their rental vehicle. A controlled delivery was completed in Detroit, MI which resulted in additional arrests. The marijuana has a street value of nearly $2,000,000.
May 19, 2002 9:07am David Fausnaugh age 53 and Neurita Wyant age 40, both of Bowling Green, OH were arrested after officers found 5 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle. Both were later released on bond. The marijuana has a street value in excess of $15,000.
May 22, 2002 1:54pm Steven Blank age 23 and Sherry Moore age 20, both of Lakewood, OH were arrested after officers found 16 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle. Both were later released on bond. The marijuana has a street value of more than $50,000.
May 27, 2002 5:13pm Efrain Ramirez age 29 of Detroit, MI was arrested after officers found 104 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. He is currently incarcerated in lieu of bond. The marijuana has a street value of more than $300,000.
May 27, 2002 5:32pm Jeff Merritt age 34 and Shannon Oliger age 27, both of Columbia, were arrested for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Attempt to Manufacture Methamphetamine. Both are incarcerated in lieu of bond.
May 28, 2002 8:48am John Delamater age 38 of Gloucester, MA was arrested after officers found 204 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle. A controlled delivery was completed in Boston, MA which resulted in additional arrests. The marijuana has a street value in excess of $650,000.
On Monday, April 29th, investigators from the Phelps County Sheriff's Department were called on to assist the Newburg Police Department with an investigation into the death of a 36 year old woman.
Billy Leona Ray McGoyne was found unresponsive by her husband around 4:40 p.m. in a bedroom of their residence in Newburg. An investigation by the Phelps County Sheriff's Department, Newburg Police Department and the Phelps County Coroner revealed that no foul play is suspected. The exact cause of death is unknown at this time however, authorities are awaiting the results of blood tests. No autopsy is expected to be performed.
On April 27, 2002, Phelps County Sheriff Department increased enforcement efforts concentrated in the Rolla and Doolittle area that resulted in a total of 12 citations, 43 warnings and two arrests for DWI. This enforcement will be continued in the Phelps County are on May 4, 2002 as well.
The increased enforcement is being paid for by a grant from the Missouri Division of Highway Safety. The grant awarded $2902. 40 for DWI countermeasures and money to pay officers to work overtime on special traffic enforcement projects.
Further dates will be announced at a later time for ongoing traffic and DWI enforcement in the Phelps County area.
