For further information please contact: Sergeant Mike Watson
(417) 359-1500 ext. 2229
DS2009-13
May 21, 2009

EMPHASIS: Traffic Stop In Jasper County Nets 457 Pounds Of Marijuana


On May 20, 2009, a Missouri State Highway Patrol commercial vehicle enforcement trooper stopped the driver of an eastbound tractor-trailer unit on Interstate 44 in Jasper County. The stop and subsequent investigation resulted in the seizure of approximately 457 pounds of marijuana and the arrest of one person.

At approximately 8:00 p.m., the driver of a 1999 International tractor-trailer unit bearing Illinois registration was stopped near the 16-mile marker in Jasper County for a safety compliance check. During the course of the traffic stop, the trooper developed probable cause to search the vehicle. An ensuing search revealed the marijuana in several large duffle bags located in the sleeper area of the tractor.

The driver, Thomas E. Watkins, 44, Madison, Illinois, was arrested for 1st degree drug trafficking and transported the Jasper County Jail in Carthage, Missouri.

The charge for which Thomas E. Watkins was arrested is mere accusation and is not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charge must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence.

(###)