Home Law and Courts Traffic stop leads to $2,000 drug seizure

Traffic stop leads to $2,000 drug seizure

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Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun

A traffic stop that happened on Feb. 27 lead to a drug seizure of more than $2,000 when a 59-year-old Hobbs man was found with fentanyl, crack, and meth.

Felix Rainey was arrested Feb. 27 and charged with trafficking a controlled substance, a second-degree felony; possession of methamphetamine and possession of a controlled substance, both fourth-degree felonies; and possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor.

Mercedes Sanders, 28, of Hobbs, was also arrested at the scene Feb. 27 and charged with failure to appear, a misdemeanor.
Around 3 p.m., on the 300 block of North Marland Street, patrolling Hobbs Police officers saw a green vehicle driving erratically, and almost causing an accident, the criminal compliant stated.

When HPD officers pulled the vehicle over, the driver — who identified himself as Rainey — said he was sorry.

According to the HPD report, Sanders was in the passenger seat and was attempting to hide her face from officer’s view.
HPD officer Smith was called to the scene to help identify the passenger. He identified her as Sanders and knew she had an outstanding warrant.

When Sanders exited the vehicle, officers saw a pipe in the door handle, according to the report.
Rainey said he didn’t know anything about the pipe in his car and agreed to let officers search the vehicle.

Inside of the car, officers located a tan purse sitting in the passenger floorboard, a black handgun sitting between the driver seat and center console, and a black backpack in the back seat, the report stated.

Inside of the purse, multiple glass pipes were found, and Sanders told officers the purse did not belong to her.

Inside of the black backpack, officers found about 180 fentanyl pills, two grams of meth and five grams of crack cocaine. Also inside of the backpack, multiple prescription pill bottles with Rainey’s name on them were found.
After searching the interior of the car, officers moved to the trunk of the vehicle.

Inside of the trunk, a suit case was located with a digital scale with crystal residue and a pill bottle with crystal residue inside.
That pill bottle also had Rainey’s name on it.

Officers removed the scale from the trunk, and Rainey blurted out “my scale.”

Officers searched Rainey and found a clear baggie in his right front pocket with a rock substance. Officers asked Rainey if the rock was crack cocaine and he said it was.

In his left pocket, Rainey had $180 cash.

Rainey had a pretrial detention hearing on March 3 before Fifth Judicial District Court Judge William Shoobridge.
Shoobridge ordered Rainey is to be held in the Lea County Detention Center on a no bond order as a result of the pretrial detention hearing.

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