ST. GEORGE — Two suspects were indicted in federal court following a traffic stop on Interstate 15 last month, when authorities recovered more than $260,000 in methamphetamine and fentanyl from a box located on the backseat – just inches from an infant.

The traffic stop was conducted shortly after 5 a.m. on Feb. 9, after a Utah Highway Patrol trooper began to follow a northbound vehicle with Oklahoma plates on I-15 that was swerving out of its travel lane, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of the arrests.  

Passing mile marker 6, the driver of the vehicle reportedly failed to move over for two officers stopped on the right shoulder, which is when the trooper pulled the car over just south of the St. George Boulevard Exit.

There were three occupants in the vehicle: 32-year-old Angjo Mary Lynn Taylor, of Anaheim, California, who was driving the car; 35-year-old Dominque Terence Rogers, of Thornton, Colorado; and a 1-year-old infant secured in a car seat in the back seat.

Police say while speaking to the driver, they became suspicious, and a K-9 was deployed to conduct a free-air sniff around the exterior of the car. When the animal indicated the possible presence of narcotics, a search of the vehicle ensued.  

At that point, the passenger told troopers he had marijuana in the car that belonged to him and admitted to not having a medical marijuana card, the report states. 

During the search, officers located a box, which contained approximately 10 pounds of meth and two kilos of fentanyl pills.

“This box was sitting right next to the child, identified as the son of both occupants,” the deputy stated, adding it was well within the youngster’s reach and placed the child in “substantial risk.” 

Both suspects were arrested and transported to the UHP office in Hurricane for an interview. During which, the report states, neither suspect claimed ownership of the drugs and they were subsequently transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail.

The following day, each suspect was charged with two second-degree felony counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and a third-degree felony count of causing or permitting a child to be exposed to a controlled substance. Each also faces misdemeanor possession of paraphernalia. Taylor was also charged with a misdemeanor count for failing to reduce speed while approaching an emergency vehicle, and Rogers was charged with one count of knowingly producing or dispensing a controlled substance, a misdemeanor. 

St. George Police Capt. Jordan Minnick, who also serves as captain for the Washington County Drug Task Force, told St. George News the value of 10 pounds of meth on the wholesale level before it is cut and packaged for resale is roughly $45,000, and the street value increases significantly.

The two kilos, or roughly 4.4 pounds of fentanyl is valued at more than $132,000 on the low end, he said.

Minnick added that more than 40% of all fentanyl pills seized by police are found to contain a lethal dose of the drug, which is roughly 2 mg, meaning that nearly half of all fentanyl buyers are at risk of overdosing.

Any time fentanyl pills are seized, Minnick said, it “truly save lives.”

Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Cameron told St. George News, after further investigation, the amount of meth seized during the stop had a street value of more than $130,000 in total – so the combined street level of the narcotics seized amounted to more than $265,000.

Roden said that no specific details on the child’s whereabouts were included in the original report. But often in these types of situations, the Division of Children and Family Services is contacted from the scene and the child is turned over to their custody until a family member can be contacted, he said.

The agency continues to care for the child until arrangements are made to have the child picked up by a relative.

Following the February arrest, both Taylor and Rogers have remained in custody in Washington County. While a bond hearing was scheduled to take place last week, the hearing was canceled after the suspects were indicted by a federal grand jury, and both were placed on a federal hold. 

Both were indicted on one felony count of possession of meth with intent to distribute, which is a class A felony under federal law and punishable by an indeterminate term of five years to life imprisonment

With each of the defendants indicted, the state cases were dismissed on Friday. Both continue to be held in custody as their cases are being processed through federal court.  

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. 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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