News Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Dan Crain
572-268-2345
I02D09
February 23, 2009

EMPHASIS: Marijuana Seizure In Laclede County On Missouri Highway 64


On February 21, 2009, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped the driver of an eastbound pickup truck on Missouri Highway 64 in Laclede County for a traffic violation. The stop and subsequent investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 40 pounds of marijuana and the arrest of two individuals.
At approximately 10:15 a.m., the driver of a 1998 Chevrolet 1500 pickup, bearing Colorado registration, was stopped on MO 64, near the intersection of Missouri Route KK, for a traffic violation. Following the traffic stop, the trooper asked for consent to search the vehicle. The trooper received consent and a Lebanon Police Department K-9 also indicated a positive response to the vehicle. Approximately 40 pounds of marijuana was located in the bed of the truck and an additional small amount of the same was located in the passenger’s door.
The driver, Kenneth R. Hicks, 49, and the passenger, Brandon R. Hicks, 23, both of Arvada, Colorado, were arrested for first degree drug trafficking. Both suspects were incarcerated in the Laclede County Jail in lieu of $50,000 cash only bond. Assisting in this investigation were the Lebanon Police Department and the Laclede County Sheriff’s Department.
The charges for which Kenneth and Brandon Hicks were arrested are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
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