On November 5, 2025, at approximately 4:50 A.M., Saint Paul Officers stopped a 2009 blue Ford F150 for not signaling a turn to northbound Marion Street, Saint Paul, County of Ramsey. The vehicle was stopped south on Rice Street. ROBERT VERNON CARD, [DOB redacted], was the driver. AR was the passenger. CARD was the registered owner of the vehicle. License plate records showed CARD had an ignition interlock restriction on his driver’s license privileges. CARD immediately told officers he was going to drop his vehicle off at the shop to get his ignition interlock devise installed, but could not specify what shop.
An officer observed a marijuana blunt in the center cupholder ash tray and a rolling tray with marijuana on it on the floorboard between the front seats. AR confirmed the blunt had marijuana. She denied smoking in the vehicle. CARAD and AR were told to exit the vehicle. The vehicle was searched. A metal lock box was found in the rear seat area. There was suspected methamphetamine, MDMA pills, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and yellow powder inside the metal box. A small plastic bag with approximately 26.9 grams of marijuana was found near the passenger front door.
After a Miranda advisory, AR spoke to an officer. She said she did not know anything abut drugs in the vehicle. AR said she was at a bar with CARD and asked him for a ride to a friend’s house on Rice Street. After a Miranda advisory, CARD spoke to an officer. CARD initially denied any knowledge of the drugs except the marijuana. CARD said he recently returned from out of town and that he didn’t have possession of his truck until this day. Eventually, CARD said he had an 8-ball of methamphetamine in the center cupholder that is his personal use supply.
He said he recently relapsed and smokes approximately two bowls of methamphetamine per day. He last smoked at around 11:00 P.M. Yesterday. CARD said an unidentified person placed the metal box in his vehicle. He was going to drop his vehicle off at a shop and leave it there. A person named “Coo Coo” was going to pick up the methamphetamine from his vehicle. “Coo Coo” is AR’s child’s father. CARD was going to receive $150. CARD said AR had knowledge of the drugs in the car. In a subsequent conversation with an investigator, CARD said he left the vehicle unlocked because there were drugs in the bag and he was going to received $500 for it.
He began to have car trouble, and stopped to fix it. He opened the back door and noticed a purple gun. He placed the gun in the backpack and fixed his truck. CARD said he knew about the methamphetamine. He said there were 30 grams for personal use, and the rest was for the drop. A firearm was found between the driver’s seat and center console. The firearm is a 9mm SCCY CPX-2. The magazine in the firearm had live ammunition, no round in the chamber. The firearm was reported stolen out of Yellowstone, County, Montana on 10/22/2019. In a subsequent conversation, CARD admitted touching and possessing the firearm.
