ST. GEORGE — A Utah Highway Patrol trooper arrested two people after discovering various kinds of illicit drugs and a loaded firearm following a traffic stop Friday in Iron County.
According to the probable cause affidavit filed in support of the arrest, 59-year-old Bill Frank Scaccia from Needles, California, and Scaccia’s passenger, 54-year-old Patricia Ann Rogers from Bullhead, Arizona, were driving north on Interstate 15 near mile marker 100 when his blue pickup truck passed UHP Trooper Scott Mackelprang.
Mackelprang noticed the vehicle’s front windows were tinted much darker than what Utah allows. The officer ran the license plate number through his system, finding that the registration was missing or suspended, and he initiated a traffic stop for the window tint and registration violations.
Scaccia gave Mackelprang his Arizona driver’s license, according to the statement, which the trooper ran through the system and found was suspended “for a court action.” The suspect was unable to provide proof of insurance.
During the traffic stop, Mackelprang said he began to suspect criminal activity before he applied for and obtained a search warrant.
Upon searching the vehicle, Mackelprang discovered 1 1/2 pounds of a “white crystal substance” that tested positive for methamphetamine, a loaded 9 mm handgun, two blue pills later identified as Alprazolam, drug paraphernalia and handgun ammunition.
Both Rogers and Scaccia were placed under arrest and booked into the Iron County Correctional Facility, and the vehicle was impounded for lacking registration and insurance. The window tint was tested and found to have a light transmittance of 10.5%, which is darker than Utah’s legal limit.
Scaccia is facing a second-degree felony charge of intent to distribute, offer or arrange distribution of a controlled substance and a third-degree felony count of purchase, transportation, possession or use of a firearm by a restricted person.
He was also booked on misdemeanor charges of possession of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, driving on a suspended or revoked license and operating a vehicle without a license or registration. Additionally, Scaccia was issued a citation for two violations: no proof of insurance and window tint violation.
Rogers is facing similar charges for a second-degree felony count of intent to distribute, offer or arrange distribution of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charges of possession of a schedule 1 or 2 controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a schedule 3, 4 or 5 controlled substance.
Mackelprang has applied for Rogers’ continued detention as she had allegedly committed the second-degree felony while free on bail from an active drug case in Arizona.
Ed. note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly identified Scaccia as being out on bail for the Arizona case.
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