Traffic stop leads to drug bust in Airway Heights

AIRWAY HEIGHTS – Two people were arrested for drug possession following an April 9 traffic stop near the intersection of South Hayford Road and West 6th Avenue.

Edvin N. Johnson, 33, and Melissa S. Hernandez, 26, were both taken into custody without incident and booked into the Spokane County Jail for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Deliver.

Johnson is a four time convicted felon and is being held on a $10,000 bond, while Hernandez’s bond was set at $2,500 according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s office. Both bonds were set by Spokane County Superior Court Commissioner John Stine.

Johnson was also charged with Driving while Suspended 2nd Degree and Failure to Stop/Yield for Law Enforcement and was also given infractions for having excessive tinting and no insurance.

When stopped, Johnson initially told law enforcement that he was not trying to elude police, but just wanted to find a safe place to pull over. When speaking to the deputy who pulled him over, Johnson admitted to having two warrants for driving on a suspended license.

According to the deputy on scene, that suspension was for eluding police. Hernandez also has a previous controlled substances conviction in Idaho.

The car belonging to Hernandez was searched. Officers found a safe and a bag in the back seat that contained what they believed to be methamphetamine. A field test showed a presumptive positive result.

Hernandez gave officers the code for the safe. It contained approximately 1000 fentanyl pills along with several baggies and a handful of oxycodone pills.

Because of the amount of drugs found the field search was stopped, and the vehicle was seized pending a search warrant.

On April 11, a search warrant was obtained by Spokane Valley Investigative Unit, and detectives recovered a loaded pistol additional drugs.

Johnson will also be charged with unlawful possession of a firearm 1st Degree in the near future.

 

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