Two of three people arrested on numerous drug charges after a traffic stop in the 700 block of West 2nd, back in April were scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday. Two waived the hearing and the hearing for a third was continued to next month.
Arrested on charges of two counts of distribution of drugs, criminal use of a weapons, possession of drug paraphernalia and no tax stamp was 28-year-old Jessica Whittier of Hutchinson. The state is also adding additional charges against her. The hearing was continued because apparently the state has made a plea offer and she apparently hasn’t been able to consider it the way she needs to. If she rejects it and is convicted of all the charges against her, she could be looking at nearly 20-years in prison. Her hearing was continued to November 21.
Also arrested for possession of K-2 or synthetic marijuana was 34-year-old Dominic Vargas. Vargas has another case where he’s charged with possession of meth, possession of marijuana, possession of hallucinogenic mushrooms and possession of drug paraphernalia. This case goes back to September of last year. He waived the preliminary hearing in both and will be arraigned on November 4.
The third defendant in the case, Robert Vigil was arrested on two warrants, but also charged with possession of drugs. He also waived the hearing and will be arraigned on November 4.
The case starts when Sheriff Deputy Corey Graber stopped a white Camry at 2nd & Whiteside for failing to signal. When he made contact, he could see open containers of beer. Whittier who was driving told the deputy that she had rented the car and moved her stuff into it and that’s why the open case of beer was there.
The deputy discovered that Vigil who was in the back seat had two warrants for failing to appear and when taken out of the back seat, the deputy alleges he saw a bag of meth which he says weighed 11-grams. Whittier and Vargas then got out of the car so the deputy could collect the meth and the beer. He says he could then smell marijuana. He then found some Oxycodone in Whittler’s purse and a glass pipe with residue. He also found a back pack where he found more meth, about 90-grams, 34-grams of marijuana, nine types of different prescription pills, a loaded 9 mm handgun, brass knuckles, six different kinds of baggies, a digital scale, 5-cell phones, K-2 or synthetic marijuana, 683-dollars in cash and 5-gift cards.
Vargas had some K-2, and when booked into the jail had 954-dollars on him.
They also allegedly found several books with owe sheets in them.