A Texas motorist recently stopped on the Turner Turnpike has been arrested and charged with a drug offense.
Son Chi Nguyen, 45, of Richmond, Texas was charged in Lincoln County District Court Nov. 2 with unlawful possession of a Controlled Drug with intent to distribute.
He appeared before Special Judge Emily Mueller on the same day he was charged and she his bond at $5,000. His initial appearance has been set for Dec. 7.
Supplemental information filed in the case by the District Attorney’s Office shows Nguyen was convicted on Feb. 6, 2012 in the District Court of Hennepin County, state of Minnesota of the felony offense of financial transaction card sentence.
Oklahoma Highway Patrol Trooper Matthew Ludwig states in a probable cause affidavit that he was on routine patrol Oct. 25 on the Turner Turnpike westbound at mile marker 157 in Lincoln County and observed a gray minivan traveling 80 miles per hour in a posted 75 miles per hour zone in the right lane.
Ludwig said he drove in the left lane of travel and observed two men inside the minivan. The minivan slowed to 60 miles per hour when he was driving next to them and he activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop.
As the trooper made a passenger side approach to the vehicle, he said he observed a strong odor of raw marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Ludwig requested Nguyen to produce his Texas driver’s license and noticed he had noticeably trembling hands.
The trooper indicated that Nguyen gave numerous signs of criminal activity.
When asked by Ludwig did he have marijuana in the vehicle, Nguyen acknowledged he had a couple of pounds in it.