$93K worth of marijuana seized in Coffeyville traffic stop, 4 arrested
COFFEYVILLE, Kans. — Around 93lbs of marijuana and thousands in cash were seized following a traffic stop in Coffeyville late last month, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities with the MCSO stopped three vehicles traveling north in Coffeyville on March 30th after seeing the cars fail to signal when changing lanes. After stopping the cars deputies learned that the three vehicles were in fact traveling together.
A K-9 unit was brought in by the Coffeyville Police Department and began to "conduct a free air sniff" around the outside of one of the cars.
One driver, now identified as 62-year-old James Field, of Tulsa, told the K-9 handler that a large amount of marijuana was stowed away inside his vehicle. A subsequent search proved this to be true after the removal of a tarp inside revealed five 50-gallon trash bags of suspected marijuana. One handgun was also found in Field's vehicle.
More evidence found at the scene allowed authorities to bring the two other drivers; 30-year-old Paul Dumitrache of Tulsa, Oklahoma, 53-year-old Gabriela Eastman of Tulsa, and passenger, 30-year-old Vania Cisneros, of Tulsa into custody. These three along with Field were taken to the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.
Paul Dumitrache Gabriela Eastman Vania Cisneros
Detectives with the Sheriff's Office and KBI served search warrants on the three vehicles and located even more evidence, including more marijuana, a second handgun, and $24,000 in cash. The total street value of the marijuana seized was estimated to be worth $93,000.
Field and Dumitrache were charged with:
- Distribute Certain Hallucinogenic Greater than 1 Kilogram
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture/Plant/Cultivate Controlled Substance
- No Drug Tax Stamp for Marijuana or Controlled Substance
- Criminal Use of Weapons; Possession of Firearm by Person Addicted/Use of Controlled Substance
Eastman and Cisneros were charged with:
- Distribute Certain Hallucinogenic Greater than 1 Kilogram
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia with Intent to Manufacture/Plant/Cultivate Controlled Substance
- No Drug Tax Stamp for Marijuana or Controlled Substance
The case has since been turned over to the Montgomery County Attorney for review and prosecution.