Man charged with meth trafficking after police find him asleep in truck stop parking lot
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IDAHO FALLS — A 33-year-old man was arrested after police say he was caught trying to traffic methamphetamine.
Kurtis William Snell was charged with felony drug trafficking methamphetamine or amphetamine and misdemeanor use or possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia.
On March 29, an officer arrived at the Loves Truck Stop in Idaho Falls and instructed his K9 partner to do a free-air sniff search around the cars in the parking lot, according to an Idaho State Police report.
The K9 smelled drugs near the front passenger side door of what was later discovered to be Snell’s car.
The officer approached Snell’s car and noticed him lying down in the front driver’s seat. After knocking on the window, Snell reportedly “sat up and put the car in gear and began to drive away.”
The officer knocked on the window and told Snell to stop the car. Snell stopped trying to drive away, and the officer told him that his K9 alerted him to the odor of drugs in his car.
Snell got out of the car, and the officer started to walk him toward the police car.
The officer asked dispatch to research Snell, and learned he had a suspended driver’s license. Snell claimed he had just gotten it back.
Snell reportedly started walking back toward his car and the officer drew his taser, telling Snell if he didn’t stop, he was going to be tased.
Snell stopped and allowed the officer to take the car keys from him and started walking toward the cop car. According to the officer, Snell “quickly turned around and acted like he was going to strike (the officer).”
The officer drew his taser and told Snell to put his hands behind his back. Snell reportedly complied, got on his knees and was handcuffed.
An Idaho Falls Police officer and a Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputy arrived and searched Snell’s car, where they reportedly found a black bag containing a “large package wrapped in black electrical tape.”
Court documents say when officers cut the package open, they found “a large amount of a white crystalline substance that (police) recognized to be methamphetamine.”
Later, officers determined the meth weighed 466.7 grams.
Also inside the black bag, officers reportedly found a container with approximately 2,285 fentanyl “M30″ pills, a rubber container with a small amount of meth, and multiple items of drug paraphernalia.”
On the back floorboard of the car, officers say they found a “glass meth pipe and two pieces of tin foil with burnt residue on it.”
Snell was taken to the Bonneville County Jail and booked on a bond of $50,000. He later posted bail and was released on April 3.
He is expected to appear for a preliminary hearing on April 10. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison and over $100,000 in fines.
Though Snell has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.