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ST. GEORGE — A man and a woman were arrested last weekend after a sheriff's deputy discovered more than 80 pounds of methamphetamine, among other drugs, in their vehicle.
At 11:18 p.m. on Feb. 27, a deputy with the Washington County Sheriff's Office pulled over a northbound car on I-15 for expired registration just outside of St. George, according to a probable cause statement. The deputy said the couple inside the car — identified in the court document as Tyler Bowers, 39, and Felicia Buckley, 38 — informed him that it was a rental car, and Buckley showed him the rental agreement on her phone.
Bowers told the deputy they had just been in California and were headed home to Denver, according to court documents. The documents also said Bowers, who was driving, could not provide his license to the deputy and, while holding "a large cocktail style drink," told the deputy that Buckley had been drinking in Las Vegas and could not drive because she was intoxicated. The deputy then informed Bowers that the drink was considered an open container and that it was illegal to have an open container in the vehicle.
Another deputy soon arrived and smelled burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle, the documents say. That deputy also reported seeing smoked marijuana joints in an ashtray and saw small green flakes consistent with marijuana on the floor. The deputy then searched the glove box, the documents say, and found a grinder and a small bag of marijuana that had packaging indicating it was purchased legally from a dispensary out of state.
When the two deputies conducted a search of the trunk, the probable cause affidavit said they found two cardboard boxes with packages inside. Once the packages were opened, plastic bags with a white crystalized substance assumed to be methamphetamine were found. There was a total of 57 packages of methamphetamine weighing a total of 81 pounds, according to court documents.
A deputy said in the documents that he then conducted another thorough search of the couple's luggage and found a brown tar-like substance along with unused syringes. The substance, which the affidavit said tested positive for heroin, weighed 24 grams — not the typical amount for personal use, according to the deputies.
After the discovery, the deputies said Buckley told them Bowers was a heroin user. Bowers was advised of his Miranda rights but agreed to answer the deputies' questions, the court documents say.
Bowers then told them that it was pre-arranged for him to meet someone in California and pick up the boxes, deputies said. He reportedly said that he didn't know what was in the boxes but thought it was likely heroin.
Buckley told deputies that she did not know anything about the methamphetamine that was located in the trunk, the documents say.
Bowers was arrested for investigation of two felony counts of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana/spice) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Buckley was arrested for investigation of a felony count of possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, and misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance (marijuana/spice), possession of drug paraphernalia, and open container/drinking alcohol in a vehicle.
Both Buckley and Bowers were booked into Purgatory Correctional Facility in St. George.
