BLACK CANYON CITY, AZ – A man was arrested after 11 bricks of compressed marijuana were discovered inside the trunk of his car, according to a Monday report.
Dwight D'Evelyn with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office said a deputy observed a blue car parked just off the roadway at the Coldwater Road on-ramp to Interstate 17 on Thursday just before midnight.
The deputy apparently saw a male passed out in the driver’s seat of the vehicle, which displayed Indiana plates.
As the deputy approached to check the man’s condition, he reportedly smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.
D’Evelyn said the deputy spoke with the male, identified as 54-year-old William Wilkinson from Indiana, who explained he had stopped to rest on his way back to Indiana from Phoenix after visiting his brother for a few days.
When asked about the marijuana odor, Wilkinson allegedly stated his brother had smoked a joint in the car earlier that day.
However when the deputy said the odor was particularly strong, Wilkinson explained that his brother had actually smoked two joints, according to the report.
D’Evelyn said after receiving permission from Wilkinson to determine the source of the marijuana odor, the deputy discovered 11 bricks of compressed marijuana wrapped inside trash bags in the trunk.
Wilkinson reportedly told deputies the load of marijuana was not his and was unaware how the marijuana ended up in the trunk of his car.
According to YCSO, the estimated street value of this load is well over $200,000.
When Wilkinson was searched, deputies found $6500 in cash on his person, said D’Evelyn.
Wilkinson’s camera bag reportedly contained a personal use quantity of Oxycodone, a prescription only narcotic drug.
Wilkinson was arrested and booked at the Camp Verde Detention Center on charges including Transportation of Marijuana for Sales, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession of Narcotic Drugs. Wilkinson’s cash and vehicle were seized pending a forfeiture hearing. He remains in-custody as of Monday morning on a $50,000 bond.
