PAROWAN — A Washington City man was arrested Wednesday after a Utah Highway Patrol trooper found him in possession of multiple drugs.
The incident began as a traffic stop when Trooper Clay Allred clocked a vehicle traveling 85 mph in an 80 mph zone on Interstate 15 near mile marker 81, Allred said in a probable cause statement supporting the arrest. The vehicle continued on I-15 where it then began following too close behind a semi-truck.
Allred initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle and the driver identified himself as 19-year-old Tanner Chournos, the statement said.
While speaking with Chournos, Allred detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, and asked the driver about the smell, Allred said in the statement.
“I asked him about it,” Allred said, “and he said there had been marijuana in the car but there was not any in there now.”
Upon searching the vehicle, a black lockbox was located in the rear of the vehicle that had the smell of marijuana coming from it, Allred said in the statement.
“He denied it was his at first,” Allred said, “but later put in the code and opened the box.”
Inside the box, Allred discovered two-ounces of marijuana, 1.2-ounces of psychedelic mushrooms and multiple prescription medications, including: 11 Adderall pills, 10 Vyvanse pills and 44 Xanex pills, the statement said. A digital scale, a kitchen knife, plastic baggies, a lighter and a pipe were also found inside the lockbox.
In an interview with the trooper, Chournos admitted to selling or intending to sell the drugs found inside his vehicle, Allred said in the statement.
Chournos was arrested and booked into the Iron County Jail on Wednesday.
Chournos was charged with three second-degree felonies for possession of marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms and a schedule II controlled substance with intent to distribute; two third-degree felonies for possession of a schedule IV controlled substance and marijuana with intent to distribute; two class B misdemeanors for possession of drug paraphernalia and having an improper container for a prescription; and two class C misdemeanors for speeding and following too close. His bail is set at $15,000.
Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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I’m sure this good ole Dixie boy had a temporary lapse in judgement and the drugs can be blamed on illegals and outsiders. Just have the bishop chastise him and have him pay some extra tithing and all is good.
#fundraiser
#accountabilityraiser
Double fundraiser. LOL.!
5 MPH over? Don’t most of us do 5 over and set the cruise?! Cops gotta fill their December quota!
At 5mph over, they could fill their annual quota in one day alone on St George Blvd.
That is excellent to see some of these idiots being stopped for tailgating, iit would be even nicer to see local law enforcment start nabbing more drivers around saint george for tailgating. Alot of the accidents around here are because of following too close.
If you go around trying to look like miley cyrus you’re eventually going to get pulled over…
Pigs gotta be Pigs
That’s right NGVC, how do you feel about raising money for that “mugging” now? Idiots.
i knew that kid. i hungout with him a couple times. i think its stupid that he was smoking and driving in his car at the same time. It sucks he has to learn by his mistakes, for once im happy for the cop.