DUI Checkpoints & Crime on the Road, Sobriety Checkpoints

On November 20th at approximately 1940 hours, I was running radar in the median at milepost 140 on I-70. I had my headlights on facing Eastbound. A vehicle came around the corner at 62 mph and slowed to 45 mph immediately and changed lanes into the left lane. As the vehicle passed me it was across the solid white line as if it was going to drive into the median. The vehicle appeared to be a white Chevy Trailblazer with a Georgia license plate.

As I began to pull out of the median two other vehicles passed me. The first vehicle was a white Honda Ridgeline with a Nebraska plate the second vehicle was a gold Mercury Grand Marques with an Arizona plate. As I began to pass the vehicles the Marques swerved into my lane cutting me off. The Marques was following the Ridgeline at less than one car length and began driving very erratic. It appeared that the Marques was trying to get me to stop it.

 I followed both vehicles for about 5 miles. The Ridgeline crossed the fog line three times as it was traveling down the canyon. I stopped the vehicle at milepost 146. The vehicle was occupied by two white males in their mid 30’s. One of the guys was laying on the back seat and appeared to be sleeping. I asked the driver who was in the back and he sat up and started looking for the registration. I asked them where they were coming from and they just stared at each other for a couple seconds and the passenger answered Las Vegas. I asked them what they did in Vegas and they just starred at each other. I asked the driver to come back to my vehicle.

The driver stated the purpose for there trip was to get married in Las Vegas but he didn’t know it was not legal in Nevada until they got there. He stated they were there for two nights. When I clarified when they left Nebraska he stated they left on Monday and it took them two and a half days to get to Las Vegas. That would put them there on Wednesday night and tonight was Thursday night. The driver appeared extremely nervous and was talking very very fast.

I spoke with the passenger and he stated they got married in Las Vegas and that they had been there for a week. While waiting for dispatch to return the drivers information I deployed PSD Rambo around the exterior of the vehicle. Rambo alerted to the tailgate on the first pass around the vehicle. On the second pass around he crawled under the vehicle in front of the passenger rear tire. When he came out he gave a positive indication on the inside of the rear wheel well. Consent was denied by both occupants. A search revealed 3 bundles of Marijuana inside the cab. There were 12 more bundles in the factory storage compartment in the bed. 235.5 pounds of Marijuana was recovered.

Suspect Information

Driver, Steve Furman DOB 8/71 from Omaha, NE
Passenger and owner of the vehicle was Jason Mothershed DOB 8/73 from Lincoln, NE

Both were booked into the Emery County Jail where they are still Incarcerated. Both were booked on 2nd Degree Felony Marijuana Distribution. The load was suspected of originating from Tucson, AZ.
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