Traffic stop near KCI Airport leads to discovery of drug cache

A traffic stop on Interstate 29, just south of KCI Airport, ended up with two out-of-state travelers under arrest after authorities discovered a variety of drugs in their vehicle.

Quentin Watts

Rhamond Jackson, 21, of Sacramento, Calif. and Quentin Watts, 34, of McLain, Miss. were each charged with a pair of felonies for trafficking drugs and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance this past weekend. Both suspects were taken into custody after a search of the vehicle they were travelling in yielded about four pounds of suspected marijuana, about a half pound of suspected methamphetamine and 2½ grams of suspected cocaine in addition to the $1,554.64 cents in cash.

According to the probable cause statement, a Platte County Sheriff’s Office deputy stopped a white Ford Fusion just before 11 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 along I-29, near NW 112th Street in Kansas City, Mo. He noticed a marijuana grinder and what appeared to be marijuana residue on the center console and observed the faint smell of fresh marijuana.

Rhamond Jackson

Jackson was identified as the driver with Watts a passenger in the backseat.

Both men were detained, and the deputy searched the vehicle. In addition to the grinder, he removed a digital scale inside the console and located two large packages in the spare tire compartment of the trunk and three more behind the carpet liner of the left trunk wall.

There were two small bags recovered from under the back seat where Watts had been sitting — one with the small amount of cocaine, the other with a small amount of suspected meth.

Upon opening the five other large bags, the deputy found four to contain marijuana totaling 1,806.4 grams and one to have 250.6 grams of suspected meth. Due to heavy fog on that night, the car was then towed to sheriff’s office facilities to continue the search, which concluded with two recovered cell phones and the cash.

Both men remain in custody at the Platte County Detention Center with a $50,000 cash-only bond, facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted on both Class B felony charges. They were due back in court for a hearing at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9.