Police say ‘abnormal behavior’ led them to large meth bust
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SHELLEY — A 48-year-old man pleaded not guilty Monday after police say he acted suspiciously, leading them to find drugs and paraphernalia in his car, allegedly.
Spencer Tolman was charged with felony trafficking methamphetamine, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to court documents, on Nov. 13, a Shelley Police officer saw a silver pickup truck traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 91. The officer writes in the report that the driver, later identified as Tolman, “appeared to be staring at me with a blank stare the entire time he passed me.”
The officer stated it was “abnormal behavior,” so they followed the truck.
Reports say the truck turned eastbound onto Center Street off US-91 and “quickly accelerated away” from the officer.
The officer noticed the truck had no mud flaps and was traveling 29 MPH in a 25 MPH zone, so they initiated a traffic stop.
The truck pulled into a driveway on East Center Street. It came to a stop, where the officer was able to speak with Tolman, who reportedly had “signs of recent drug use” and “agitated behavior” toward the officer.
Because of this, the officer called for backup and a K9. While waiting for them, the officer reportedly learned that Tolman had an expired insurance card, no proof of registration and wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.
Tolman told the officer that he forgot to put his seatbelt on, and the officer issued him a citation. The other officer and K9 partner arrived and reportedly found probable cause to search Tolman’s truck.
During the search, one of the officers reportedly found a black backpack with a hole torn into it. Inside the backpack, police say they found a pill bottle filled with what they believed to be methamphetamine.
Tolman was then handcuffed and arrested. During this process, Tolman declined to speak with officers.
Police continued searching the truck, where they say they also found a scale, nine methamphetamine pipes, one broken methamphetamine pipe, a clear bottle that contained a green leafy substance believed by police to be marijuana, a clear plastic baggie with more alleged marijuana inside, two metal pipes with suspected marijuana residue, and a “large quantity of methamphetamine” weighing approximately 56 grams.
Officers then seized Tolman’s cell phone and truck due to the amount of drugs found.
Tolman was transported to the Bingham County Jail and booked on a $30,000 bond. He posted bail and was released on Nov. 18. He is expected to appear for a jury trial on April 22. If convicted, Tolman could face up to 17 years in prison.
Though Tolman has been charged with these crimes, this does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty.