On 1/24/24, at approximately 22:34 hours, I was patrolling the area of Interstate 40 West at the 171 mile marker.
While in the area, a white Honda Accord passed me and changed lanes from the left to the right lane. After the vehicle changed
lanes, it crossed over the fog line on the right shoulder. I caught up to the vehicle to initiate a traffic stop for the violation and it
crossed over the fog line again just before I initiated my blue lights.I made contact with the driver, later identified as Samantha Sauro
and advised her who I was and the reason for the traffic stop.
I asked Sauro for her driver's license and she advised me she didn't have it on her. I asked her if she could write her name and
birthday down for me and she did. While speaking with Sauro I observed her bottom lip quivering. When I handed her my
notebook to write information down I observed her hands to be shaking. Sauro was also very apologetic throughout the
duration of our conversation.
Considering the observed nervous behavior, lack of information, and inconsistencies in Sauro's story, I suspected that Sauro
may be engaging in criminal activity. I asked Sauro if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and I immediately observed
Sauro to begin breathing heavily and I could see her chest rapidly rising and falling. Sauro went on to say there was not
anything illegal in the vehicle. I asked Sauro for consent to search the vehicle and she denied. Prior to me asking for consent,
Sauro was making steady eye contact while speaking to me and had her body orientated towards me. Once I asked for consent
to search the vehicle, Sauro turned her body towards her vehicle and began looking at it with a frightened expression.
I requested a K9 at my location and Sr. Cpl. Trent Behnke advised he was en route to assist. While waiting for Sr. Cpl. Behnke,
TFC Price arrived on scene to assist as well. TFC Price began speaking with Sauro and during their conversation, he asked her
if everything in the vehicle was hers.
Sauro's body was oriented towards TFC Price while she was speaking with him. Once
again, Sauro turned back towards her vehicle and with a frightened expression and stated, "um, I think so yeah". TFC Price
then asked Sauro if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and she replied, "Not to my knowledge." Just before Sr. Cpl.
Behnke arrived on scene, Sauro stated she would let me search the vehicle. I advised her since the K9 was about to be on
scene we would wait and allow him to run the dog. Sauro then admitted she had methamphetamine paraphernalia inside the vehicle.
Once Sr. Cpl. Behnke arrived on scene he ran his K9, Khar, on the vehicle. The K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics in the area
of the open passenger window. I conducted a search of the vehicle and located a large piece of aluminum foil with a large
amount of suspected methamphetamine residue in the driver's floorboard. I continued to search the vehicle and located a floral
pattern zip-up bag behind the driver's seat. Inside the bag, I located a large amount of US currency. The currency was hidden
under makeup products, along with more aluminum foil containing suspected methamphetamine residue. The currency was
divided into seven different rubber-banded bundles. The rubber bands were small black rubber bands. The bundles were
comprised of varying amounts of denominations ranging between $100 bills and $1 bills. Through my training and experience, I
know currency packaged in this manner, in those denominations, with the presence of narcotics is often times indicative of
narcotics distribution.
Sauro was booked on the charges of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (meth or cocaine) and improper lane change.
I transported the evidence and currency to State Police Headquarters to be stored in evidence. While processing evidence, it
was discovered the large piece of foil located in the driver’s floorboard contained a useable amount of methamphetamine. I will
be seeking the charges of possession of a controlled substance schedule 1-2 (meth or cocaine) against Sauro. The narcotics
seized were submitted to Troop A Evidence to be sent to the Arkansas State Crime lab.
Sauro's cell phone and currency were also submitted into Troop A Evidence.
Sr. Cpl. Chet White and I took the currency to Centennial Bank to be counted and deposited. The currency totaled $33,053.00.
12 июн 2024
