SALT LAKE CITY — What started off as a typical traffic stop in Summit County turned out to be anything but typical when a Highway Patrol trooper discovered a drug trafficking attempt on Sunday.
Duane Joseph Lee, 50, was booked into the Summit County Jail on Sunday following the traffic stop, according to a filed bookings affidavit.
The affidavit states that a trooper spotted Lee driving 10 miles per hour over the speed limit on Interstate 80. The trooper then initiated a traffic stop on Lee.
During that traffic stop, the trooper smelled marijuana in the vehicle, questioning whether or not Lee had a medical marijuana card. Lee stated he did not, leading to a probable cause search of his vehicle, according to the document.
The probable cause search yielded a duffle bag containing bulk marijuana, according to the document. After this bag was located, Lee was arrested and his vehicle was transported to a Highway Patrol office for a more thorough search.
According to the affidavit, officers conducting the secondary search of Lee’s car found multiple items related to drug trafficking, including 83 pounds of weed, six bags of psychedelic mushrooms, 4,000 MDMA pills in a vacuum-sealed bag, 200 weed extract cartridges, and over 30 packages of weed edibles.
Duane Joseph Lee was booked into the Summit County Jail on suspicion of eight charges, including;
- possession of marijuana, a class B misdemeanor;
- two counts of possession with an intent to distribute a controlled substance, a second-degree felony,
- three additional counts of possession with an intent to distribute a controlled substance, these being a third-degree felony;
- use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor, and;
- speeding, an infraction.
A picture released by the Highway Patrol showcasing the yield from a recent drug bust. (Utah Highway Patrol)
