Deputies found just over a pound of suspected methamphetamine beneath a driver’s seat during a traffic stop, according to charges. The stop followed a driving complaint around 2:42 a.m. Sept. 16 on Highway 52 in Goodhue County.
Michael Raymond Weber, 44, of Hastings, is charged with three counts of felony first-degree drug possession, one count of felony fifth-degree drug possession and a petty misdemeanor for failing to dim his headlights.
A caller reported a driver swerving and changing speeds. A deputy later saw the driver make a U-turn near Wanamingo and pass with his high beams on, according to the complaint. The deputy stopped Weber at Highway 57 and 490th Street.
Weber said he had come from Hastings and was heading to a friend’s home. He told the deputy he may have drifted out of his lane because he was checking his phone. The deputy described him as jittery, with shaking hands and quick responses.
After Weber got out, another officer saw a clear bag containing a white crystalline substance beneath the driver’s seat. Deputies detained Weber and searched the vehicle.
They found four bags of material that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, totaling 476.81 grams, or about 1.05 pounds. Deputies also found two bottles containing a total of 96 pills identified as lisdexamfetamine, according to the complaint.
The search also turned up a scale, marijuana and a vape containing material that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.
After being advised of his rights, Weber agreed to speak with investigators and said the amount of methamphetamine found was about a pound, the complaint says.
