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SALT LAKE CITY — Two men were recently indicted in federal court in Utah after allegedly being caught with 270 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.
Kyle Matin Folk, 35, of Chico, California, and Kevin Wayne Hulse, 50, of Grants Pass, Oregon, were charged Aug. 27 with marijuana possession with intent to distribute.
On Aug. 8, a Chevy Tahoe was pulled over on I-80 in Tooele County for a traffic violation. The Utah Highway Patrol trooper who pulled the men over "noticed that both occupants had just ignited new cigarettes when he got to the Tahoe, which based on his training and experience he recognized as common behavior of individuals attempting to cover the odor of narcotics or alcohol," according to charging documents.
One man was told to sit in the trooper's patrol car. Both men appeared to be nervous and each had a contradicting story about how they met, the charges state.
After running a records check, the trooper learned that Folk has an extensive criminal history and a warrant out for his arrest in California. Additional troopers were called to assist.
"The troopers then conducted a search of the vehicle and found 12 large trash bags full of vacuum-sealed bags of raw marijuana," the charges state. Approximately 270 pounds of marijuana were found in the vehicle, in addition to a handgun, police said.
Both men were taken to UHP's Tooele office for questioning. Folk was heard making the statement, "One run and this is what happens," the charges say.
A search warrant was also served on Hulse's phone.
"Hulse's phone revealed photos of outdoor marijuana grows, photos of Hulse holding raw marijuana plants, a photo of an ingredient list for marijuana growing operations, photos of marijuana strains with a price list, a photo of marijuana plants in buckets outdoors, a photo of an email confirming Hulse was previously employed at a marijuana growing company," the charges state.
A second warrant on Folk's phone revealed more photos and videos of marijuana growing fields, marijuana plants in buckets and other marijuana-related items.
The charging documents also say that Folk had a saved GPS location on his phone in a remote area of the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California where investigators believe an outdoor marijuana growing operation was being conducted.
