‘Pot head’ behind bars

Kansas man arrested

By Barry Porterfield
Staff Writer

There was no going home for a Kansas man after authorities found about 30 pounds of marijuana hidden in his vehicle’s trunk as he passed by Pauls Valley.

The traffic stop early Tuesday netted the multiple bundles of illegal weed and is now keeping Thanh Van Nguyen, 28, behind bars on a $50,000 bond.

The Garden City man was traveling alone when Garvin County deputies clocked his vehicle going over the speed limit as he drove by Pauls Valley on Interstate 35.

What got Nguyen in real trouble with the law were the four bundles of marijuana found in his vehicle.

Deputy Travis Crawford reported noticing that Nguyen exhibited several signs of unusually high nervousness during the traffic stop, which eventually occurred about two miles north of Pauls Valley.

The deputy also spotted that Nguyen didn’t appear to have any luggage for a trip to Dallas, Texas, which the driver claimed had included the recent Mother’s Day weekend.

The next sign of potential problems came when Nguyen consented to a search of the vehicle except for the trunk area.

With that in mind Crawford requested the help of a Lighthorse Police officer and his K-9 dog. In minutes that dog alerted to the possibility of a narcotics being present in the vehicle’s trunk.

One package duct taped in a sack was soon found, while three other wrapped packages were discovered underneath the trunk’s carpet by the spare tire.

Opening one of the packages, the deputy confirmed the substance inside was marijuana.

Nguyen himself was reported to hesitate but answer “30 pounds” when asked how much marijuana was in the packages.

When allowed to make a roadside call to his wife in Kansas, Nguyen was reported to say, “I got caught with something.”

Nguyen later told the deputy he was a “pot head” who smoked the drug on a daily basis. He was soon booked into Garvin County jail, where records show he remains today on the five-figure bond.

Crawford reported the marijuana appeared to be “Mexican grade” with an estimated street value of up to $19,500 in Oklahoma.

Nguyen is now facing a felony charge of unlawfully trafficking in illegal drugs.