Vehicle search yields 40 pounds of suspected meth in southern Utah traffic stop

ST. GEORGE — A suspect was arrested during a traffic stop when officers became suspicious of his travel story and reportedly recovered blocks of suspected methamphetamine during the search of a pickup truck.

A Washington City police officer was conducting drug interdiction patrol Tuesday on I-15 near the St. George Boulevard exit facing northbound traffic when he noticed a white pickup truck with Colorado tags slow the vehicle to below the posted speed limit as the truck passed by.

The officer followed the truck as it reportedly crossed over the fog lines, veered into the adjacent lane and continued across the rumble strips. The officer activated the emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop near the Washington Parkway exit.

While speaking to the driver, 46-year-old John Thomas Vinson, the officer noticed a black handgun tucked between the front passenger seat and the center console. While advising the driver of the reason for the stop, Vinson reportedly said he was tired from driving and that his vehicle had been pulling to one side.

The officer told Vinson he was issuing him a written warning for the lane violations and asked the suspect to sit in his patrol vehicle while he wrote it up.

While making casual conversation, the report states, the officer became suspicious when he noticed several discrepancies in the suspect's travel story and asked Vinson if he could search the vehicle, and he consented.

The officer recovered a second firearm, a black Ruger, from the glove compartment. The weapon was seized along with the Glock initially spotted near the center console.

While searching the front of the pickup, the officer peered over the seat and on the floorboard to the rear of the cab noticed two large elongated tube-shaped objects wrapped in brown packaging tape. The tube-like bundles had the feel of compressed powder, leading the officer to believe the packages contained "illegal narcotics," the officer wrote.

Read the full article at St. George News.

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