FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) – The Fayetteville Police Department pulled over a vehicle on Sunday evening (Oct. 5), searched it and then took the driver into custody after finding marijuana, $1,800 in cash and fraudulent IDs, authorities say.
The driver was identified as Luis E. Martinez, 26, of Arlington, Texas, according to an arrest report.
Martinez was pulled over in a traffic stop for speeding, and officers smelled a very strong odor of pot coming from the inside of the car, the arrest report states. Officers later found 16.8 grams of marijuana in the vehicle, according to the report.
The vehicle was a black Nissan Altima, and officers conducted the search in the parking lot of Applebee’s at 4078 College Avenue, police say. A person who works at the Applebee’s said police stopped the vehicle at approximately 5:15 p.m.
In addition to the marijuana, police found four fraudulent California ID and driver’s license cards. They also found 11 new iPhones, along with receipts and cell phone contracts for each device. All of the contracts were issued in different names using the fraudulent names and ID cards that had been located in the car, the report states.
Police also found a notebook containing handwritten names, addresses and social security numbers, according to the report.
Two more suspects were named by police based on evidence found in the car. One suspect was identified as James Benson, 31, of Arlington, Texas, who was found and arrested in the Sears parking lot at 4201 N. Shiloh Dr. #98 in Fayetteville, the report states. Benson had two fraudulent California IDs on him and two new iPhones, police said.
The other suspect was identified as Mauro Rodriguez, 26. He hasn’t been arrested yet, according to the jail’s intake report.
Martinez was booked into the Washington County Detention Center and faces charges of forgery, theft of property, possession of controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, speeding, no proof of insurance and no driver’s license, according to the jail’s intake report. His bond was set at $5,000, and his first hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 7:45 a.m., the intake report states.
Benson was also booked into the Washington County Detention Center and faces charges of forgery, theft of property and possession of controlled substance, the jail’s intake report states. His bond was set at $5,000, and his first hearing is scheduled for Oct. 8 at 7:45 a.m.