A Farmington man was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday in 6th Judicial District Court for possession of a large quantity of methamphetamine.
Teddy Gene Casaver, 61, was arrested during a routine traffic stop about 3:45 a.m. March 7 in Ignacio.
An officer with the Southern Ute Indian Police Department stopped Casaver for failing to use a turn signal while turning left onto Colorado Highway 172 from County Road 318.
The officer approached the vehicle and noticed a plastic bag containing a white, crystalline substance near the floorboards behind the passenger’s seat, according to an arrest warrant.
Casaver was removed from the vehicle, and the car was further searched. The officer removed a flannel shirt, and a sandwich bag fell to the ground. The bag contained at least five smaller bags, each containing meth, according to the affidavit.
The methamphetamine in the five bags weighed 5.2 ounces, or a street value of $7,000.
He purchased the meth in New Mexico and was on his way to Sky Ute Casino, said Reid Stewart, deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case.
“This case is a good example of the district attorney’s position of treating drug dealers different than drug users, and the importance in protecting the community from those who choose to deal dangerous drugs in our area,” Stewart said.
shane@durangoherald.com
