A jury has returned guilty verdicts in a drug trafficking case that recovered a pound of methamphetamine and 4 grams of cocaine. 70-year-old John Herbaugh (dob 4/12/55) was arrested in February of last year, after a Washoe County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputy with the Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force pulled him over for speeding on I-80 near Robb Drive.
During the traffic stop, the deputy asked Herbaugh about possible drugs in the car, and the defendant denied having any. However, a WCSO K9 officer and his dog conducted a free air sniff of the truck and detected the odor of drugs. A search of the truck uncovered a large amount of methamphetamine in clear baggies on the passenger floorboard in a plastic take-out food bag. In the back seat the deputies found a green backpack containing multiple additional empty baggies, as well as cocaine and almost $2,000 cash, a piece of burnt foil with narcotic residue in a black trash bag in the cab of the truck, and a plastic weighing bin with crystal meth residue.
Herbaugh was subsequently charged with Trafficking in a Controlled Substance, Possession with Intent to Sell, and Possession of a Controlled Substance. The State was represented by Deputy District Attorney Michael Vieta-Kabell, before the Honorable Kathleen Drakulich. Sentencing is set for June 26th.
Audio of John Herbaugh press release
