Traffic stop leads to multiple felony charges

ST. GEORGE — Saturday, a traffic stop by the Utah Highway Patrol resulted in the arrest of two men from New York for multiple felony charges related, among other things, to drugs, theft and illegal financial card possession.

Arrested were Kyree Thomas Pearson, 25, of New York and Obadiah David Grandpierre, 26, of New York.

According to the probable cause statement filed in conjunction with the arrest, a UHP trooper observed a van weaving and going under the posted speed limit as it was traveling northbound on I-15 approaching exit four. After following the van for about a mile, the trooper made a traffic stop as the van was pulling into the Pilot Truck Stop in St. George.

When the trooper contacted the driver, Grandpierre, and passenger, Pearson, the statement said he could smell a strong odor of raw and burnt marijuana. Grandpierre gave the trooper a New York driver’s license and provided a car rental agreement for the van showing it was supposed to have been returned to Texas on March 14.

The trooper found that Grandpierre’s drivers license had been suspended, and he was placed under arrest.

A search of the van produced a bag of suspected marijuana and hash in the passenger door area. Also found during the search, the statement said, were five or six Target store bags containing about 30-40 bags of Starbucks brand coffee and at least 40 high-end coffee mugs.

In the back of the van, the statement said troopers found  a laptop computer, scanner,  laser printer,  five cell phones and bags of new clothing with tags still on them.

Grandpierre reportedly told the trooper that he sells the coffee and mugs on e-Bay and imports clothing.

After arriving at the jail, the statement said a booking deputy found in Grandpierre’s right shoe a baggie of suspected marijuana, a Connecticut drivers license with Grandpierre’s photograph but a different name on it and four credit cards with other names on them. The  deputy also found inside of Grandpierre’s left sock a $100 American Express money order and a baggie of suspected marijuana.

While being booked, a deputy at the jail also found a baggie of suspected marijuana inside of Pearson’s sock.

Grandpierre is charged with second-degree felony theft of a rental vehicle, four counts of third-degree felony knowingly using a false financial transaction card, a third-degree felony for drug possession, a Class-A misdemeanor for possession of another person’s identifying documents and a class-B misdemeanor for drug possession.

Pearson is charged with third-degree felonies for unlawful use of a credit card and drug possession and class-B misdemeanors for drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pearson and Grandpierre were booked into Washinton County’s Purgatory Correctional Facility.

At his initial appearance in Washington County’s 5th District Court on Monday, Grandpierre’s bail was set at $34,670. Pearson’s bail was set at the time of booking at $12,822 and his initial appearance is scheduled for Friday in District Court.

Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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