On July 8, 2015, at approximately 2:15 PM, a Yavapai County Sheriff’s K9 deputy stopped a silver colored Chevrolet Malibu sedan for an equipment and moving violation on north I17 in Cordes Lakes, Arizona. The vehicle displayed a temporary Kentucky license tag. The occupants were the driver, Robert Wetton, 65, and his wife as passenger, Pamela Wetton, 66.
The couple is from Kentucky.
The deputy immediately detected that both Robert and Pamela were far more nervous than average persons involved in similar contact with the police. This behavior and along with associated concerning factors observed by the deputy during his conversation with the couple, led him to believe contraband may be concealed in the vehicle. When Robert was asked for consent to search, he declined and wondered if the deputy thought he was “hauling drugs.”
As a result, an assisting K9 deputy deployed his certified K9 partner for an exterior, open air, sniff of the sedan. Within moments of the vehicle walk around the K9 displayed signs, including pawing, on the trunk seam area indicating an alert for narcotics and/or drugs. Checking for the source of the odor inside the trunk, deputies located a red suitcase containing 20 pounds of methamphetamine along with a digital scale used to portion the meth for packaging and sales. During a follow-up search of the vehicle’s passenger compartment, deputies located a ‘snort’ tube and glass pipe commonly used to ingest/smoke meth in the center console. Contained within an ammunition case on the rear seat were more snort tubes, glass pipes, and bindles to package meth.
As a result of the investigation, the Wetton couple was booked at the Camp Verde Detention Center on charges including Transportation of Dangerous Drugs for Sale, Possession of Dangerous Drugs for Sale, Possession of Dangerous Drugs and Paraphernalia. Both remain in-custody.