Defendant facing felony charges arraigned in Kimball County Court
A Scottsbluff man was arraigned in Kimball County Court Wednesday morning regarding felony charges following an incident January 31.
KIMBALL -- A Scottsbluff man was arraigned in Kimball County Court Wednesday morning regarding felony charges following an incident January 31.
Thirty-four-year-old James Ramirez is facing Class 2A Felony possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute and Class 3A Felony child abuse causing mental distress with no serious bodily injury.
According to the police affidavit, a Kimball County Deputy initiated a traffic stop after observing a vehicle swerving numerous times in its lane.
After making contact with the driver – who was identified as Ramirez – the deputy detected the smell of marijuana.
“I asked the driver if there was marijuana in the car, after which he responded, ‘yes, there are 2 pounds in the vehicle,’” the affidavit stated.
The deputy also noticed a female adult passenger and a child, who was in a child seat that was not properly secured.
“Upon searching the vehicle, the deputy found approximately 4 pounds of marijuana in two separate clear passages and multiple drug paraphernalia related to marijuana, as well as crushed and loose marijuana throughout the vehicle, and the entire vehicle smelled of burnt marijuana,” the affidavit stated.
Ramirez’s next hearing is March 11.