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SANTAQUIN — A Vernal man who allegedly told police he went to Phoenix to race his go-kart and pick up a large quantity of drugs is facing multiple charges.
Ashley Atwood, 42, was charged Monday in 4th District Court with meth possession with intent to distribute, cocaine possession with intent to distribute and heroin possession with intent to distribute, first-degree felonies; money laundering, a second-degree felony; THC possession with intent to distribute and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm, third-degree felonies; possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor; and four traffic violations.
On Jan. 8, a Toyota Tundra towing a trailer on northbound I-15 near Santaquin was pulled over by Utah County sheriff's deputies about 4 p.m. for several minor traffic violations, according to charging documents. A police K-9 was called to the scene and did an open-air sniff around the truck and trailer.
The search yielded approximately 60 pounds of meth and various amounts of cocaine and heroin, the charges state.
"This represents approximately 275,300 individual doses of methamphetamine, 1,000 individual doses of heroin, and 600 individual doses of cocaine," according to the charges.
Atwood was arrested. After being taken into custody, he allegedly stated that "he went to Phoenix to race his go-kart and to pick up the drugs. (He) stated that he was running the drugs from Phoenix to Denver. (Atwood) stated that he was paid the money in the backpack, $20,000, to transport the drugs. (He) stated it was his second run and he used the money from the first run to pay off his truck," charging documents state.
Over $61,500 in cash was seized by police, charging documents state.
