A botched traffic stop by Salina authorities led District Judge Paul Miller yesterday to suppress out all the prosecutor’s evidence in a meth-related case against Jeffrey Roberts, Clay Center.
County Attorney Rick James said he will ask for dismissal of all charges against Roberts including manufacturing of methamphetamine, possession of precursors and intent to manufacture methamphetamine.
“I have no evidence left to go to trial,” James told the Dispatch yesterday after the hearing.
Roberts was arrested in May, 2005 with three others after the Salina Police Department Drug Task Force was contacted by a south Salina Target store reporting that three people were buying large quantities of cold medicine containing pseudo ephedrine.
Clay County Sheriff Chuck Dunn said the traffic stop led to the recovery of 15 boxes of cold medicine.
Judge Miller ruled that the evidence gathered in the following investigation should be surpressed because the traffic stop and subsequent search was illegal, according to James.
Roberts was arraigned last week in another case in Manhattan for possession of methamphetamines, James said yesterday.
Meanwhile a search is underway for Brian Riffle, 20, of Wakefield, who failed to show up for sentencing on a conviction he sold methamphetamine within 1,000 feed of a school at Wakefield, James said.
Judge Meryl Wilson issued a failure to appear warrant for Riffle’s arrest setting bond at $100,000. James said Riffle hasn’t been seen in the area for the past two to three weeks.
A retrial of Rick Hess, Clay Center, on charges of criminal threat has been set for 9 a.m. Thursday, April 17, James said.
A jury in February was unable to reach a verdict on charges that Hess had threatened to kill his wife and daughter in April, 2005.
Also in District Court James Robinson, 18, Clay Center, pled guilty to one count of felony possession of methamphetamine, one count of criminal use of a weapon, one count of burglary and one count of felony criminal damage to property.
Robinson was arrested Christmas day following investigation into a rash of burglaries in Clay Center. Sentencing has been set for 9 a.m. May 18, 2006.
Police caught Robinson attempting to break in to a Clay Center office building early Christmas morning. That arrest led to a search warrant of Robinson’s home where items reported taken from a number of business in the preceding weeks were found.
Clifford Lepak, 20, Wakefield was arraigned on two counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child. Lepak has pled not guilty to both counts and a trial has been set for 9 a.m. May 4 and 5, 2006.
And the arraignment of Thaddeus Dugan, 32, Clay Center, on charges of felony criminal threat has been set for 9 a.m. April 11, 2006.
© Copyright 2006 Clay Center Dispatch
Clay Center Dispatch