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Benson area pot seizures net 1,300 pounds
Thelma Grimes/San Pedro Valley News-Sun
The marijuana harvest is apparently in full swing, evidenced by three separate incidents last week that led to the seizure of more than 1,300 pounds in three separate traffic stops around Benson.
The largest cache was seized around 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday, when an officer stopped a 2000 International flatbed truck for an unsafe lane change on northbound State Route 90, about 10 miles south of Benson.
The two occupants immediately jumped from the vehicle and ran into the desert. After a search, officers were able to locate 1,222 pounds of marijuana in what is described as a "tunnel" under the flatbed portion of the truck.
The two occupants were not located.
In a second incident on Oct. 28 around 8:30 a.m., a DPS patrolman stopped a 1996 Toyota Camry traveling westbound on I-10 around milepost 299, about four miles west of Benson, for following too closely.
The driver, Michael Florez, 25, of Phoenix, was driving on a suspended license.
During an inventory of the car, the officer discovered 97 pounds of marijuana in the trunk.
Florez was booked in Sierra Vista for possession.
In another DPS stop last week, when patrolman Brian Clark conducted a search in a routine traffic stop, a bag of dog food and a diaper box contained about 55 pounds of marijuana.
Justice of the Peace Joe Knoblock set a $250,000 bond for Jessica Cher Zimmerman of Benson on four felony counts: possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Clark stopped Zimmerman, 22, on Interstate 10 around milepost 298 last Monday night.
After refusing to allow Clark to search her car, the DPS K-9 unit was summoned. The dog alerted officers to marijuana, which was found in a dog food bag and a Pampers box in the trunk of the car.
Knoblock set her bond in her initial court appearance in Sierra Vista, where she is currently being held. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 6.
The marijuana harvest is apparently in full swing, evidenced by three separate incidents last week that led to the seizure of more than 1,300 pounds in three separate traffic stops around Benson.
The largest cache was seized around 4:30 p.m. last Wednesday, when an officer stopped a 2000 International flatbed truck for an unsafe lane change on northbound State Route 90, about 10 miles south of Benson.
The two occupants immediately jumped from the vehicle and ran into the desert. After a search, officers were able to locate 1,222 pounds of marijuana in what is described as a "tunnel" under the flatbed portion of the truck.
The two occupants were not located.
In a second incident on Oct. 28 around 8:30 a.m., a DPS patrolman stopped a 1996 Toyota Camry traveling westbound on I-10 around milepost 299, about four miles west of Benson, for following too closely.
The driver, Michael Florez, 25, of Phoenix, was driving on a suspended license.
During an inventory of the car, the officer discovered 97 pounds of marijuana in the trunk.
Florez was booked in Sierra Vista for possession.
In another DPS stop last week, when patrolman Brian Clark conducted a search in a routine traffic stop, a bag of dog food and a diaper box contained about 55 pounds of marijuana.
Justice of the Peace Joe Knoblock set a $250,000 bond for Jessica Cher Zimmerman of Benson on four felony counts: possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana for sale, transportation of marijuana for sale and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Clark stopped Zimmerman, 22, on Interstate 10 around milepost 298 last Monday night.
After refusing to allow Clark to search her car, the DPS K-9 unit was summoned. The dog alerted officers to marijuana, which was found in a dog food bag and a Pampers box in the trunk of the car.
Knoblock set her bond in her initial court appearance in Sierra Vista, where she is currently being held. A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 6.
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The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of bensonnews-sun.com.
Frank Edward Blanchard wrote on Nov 4, 2009 11:31 AM:
Seems all law-enforcement can find is marijuana. I find this very suspicious indeed, so the drug traffickers were only carrying marijuana??
What if they were carrying more where did it go who is going to ask them or should we even bother to ask? Sounds awfully suspicious doesn't it.
Who is policing the police?? We need oversight and real answers.
Corruption is everywhere
Things that need to be addressed. "