Man found with guns, drugs after 2 officers smell marijuana smoke drifting across motel parking lot

Stock image | Photo by Matt Gush/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — Bike patrol officers riding through a local motel parking lot late Wednesday night led to a man’s arrest after the officers allegedly found guns and drugs inside of his room.

Keith Robert Farnsworth, 55, of Washington City, booking photo taken in Washington County, Utah, April 2, 2020 | Photo courtesy of the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, St. George News

On Wednesday shortly before 11 p.m., officers on bike patrol were riding through the parking lot of Motel 6 on North 1000 East when they smelled marijuana smoke drifting through the area, according to charging documents filed with the court.

Officers turned in the direction of the odor and found a ground-floor window that was cracked open approximately 8 inches with a fan circulating air into the room. There was no answer when they knocked on the door, but they could hear movement inside of the room. They announced that St. George Police officers were at the door and requested that the occupant step outside.

Shortly after a man later identified as Keith Farnsworth exited, and when officers asked if they could search the room, the suspect denied consent.

As officers worked on obtaining a search warrant, the suspect “spontaneously uttered that he had two marijuana buds in the room,” the officer noted in the report, explaining to police he used marijuana to help him sleep.

Farnsworth also confirmed there were two firearms in the room, a rifle and a pistol, something which he was prohibited from possessing according to the criminal background check that later revealed he was “flagged” as a felon.

Once the warrant was approved, the officers searched the motel room where they allegedly located a metal lock box with a large amount of a brown substance in a small glass jar suspected to be heroin. Officers later determined there was 5 grams (or 50 doses) of heroin inside of the jar.

Also inside the lock box was a small plastic container with a little more than 2 grams of a white crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine, as well as a metal box containing 30 pills that turned out to be alprazolam, a drug used to treat anxiety and panic disorders, along with a second container with the same prescription medication in varying milligrams inside.

Officers also allegedly found a scale covered in a brown residue consistent with heroin, a green container that also contained heroin, small baggies and three small envelope type containers with THC concentrate inside. Officers also located two .22-caliber Rugers, a revolver and a rifle, along with several large fixed-blade knives.

While speaking with officers, the suspect allegedly said the substances found in the room were not being sold but were for “personal use only.”

Officers arrested Farnsworth and transported him to Purgatory Correctional Facility, where he was booked on one second-degree felony charge of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance due to him having “a large amount of controlled substances next to a scale, individual baggies, and locked in a combination protected box.”

The suspect was also booked on two third-degree felony counts for possession of a fireearm by a restricted person for the two Ruger’s, as well as misdemeanor possession of a dangerous weapon for the large fixed-blade knife. He also faces six misdemeanor drug and paraphernalia possession charges.

The suspect remains in custody on $10,000 bail.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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