Posted on 04/12/2005 2:17:00 PM PDT by ServesURight
A traffic stop Monday on Interstate 70 netted the largest cocaine bust in the history of the Shawnee County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Martha Lutz said a deputy at about 12:35 p.m. stopped an eastbound 1986 Toyota van for a traffic violation about four miles west of Topeka. After further investigation, the deputy received permission to search the vehicle, Lutz said.
Authorities found 49 pounds of cocaine -- with a street value of $1.6 million -- concealed in a false compartment in the van's roof, Lutz said. The seizure was the largest cocaine bust by the sheriff's office.
The driver, Daniel Barahona, 30, of Lilurn, Ga., was booked into the Shawnee County Jail in connection with possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, possession of drug paraphernalia and no Kansas drug tax stamp.
Barahona's 4-year-old son, who had been traveling with Barahona, was taken to juvenile intake.
"Barahona's 4-year-old son, who had been traveling with Barahona, was taken to juvenile intake."
poor lil tyke. His daddy is going to murdered for loosing 1.6 mil in smack.
"...concealed in a false compartment..."
What does that mean? It's not really a compartment? If not, how could there be cocaine in there?
Drug tax stamp? As if cocaine possession with intent to sell isn't bad enough but no drug tax stamp. The cretin.
Besides the question of whether cocaine should be legal or not, does anybody really believe that the deputy really received permission to search the car? "Why sure y'all, c'mon and look around and bring a dog too".
This is surely an indicator that we're winning the war on drugs. Somebody tell President Nixon we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Makes sense. Thanks.
After refusing search can the driver then just drive away (after receiving the ticket)? I've been curious to know.
As a COPS addict I have never seen that situation.
Smack is slang for heroin, not cocaine, fyi.
Yeah i know...i was going to fix it but decided to let it go. The kids father is probably going to get murdered either way. Hopefully he'll roll and they'll lock up the leaders so my tax dollars don't go to protecting him for the rest of his life.
Good question. Many times you just have to let them walk unless you can develop probable cause to search in some other manner. Examples might be a crack pipe in view on the car seat, drug odors, drug manufacturing gear in view. The search would then be incident to arrest and the scope of the search could potentially be even more limited. Locked compartments are typically off limits. With consent you have to warn the subject they can refuse and they can tell you where not to look and stop you at any time. I would have liked more detail here to see what if any info the deputy had beforehand. Without consent here I was wondering if he had enough to get a search warrant.
Thanks again.
I often get the feeling in local news reports that cars which have been stopped and in which drugs were found were known ahead of time to have those drugs, especially in a situation where a drug enforcement team is involved.
LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.