ALEXANDRIA, Minn. — Two Montana men are jailed in Douglas County after being busted driving through Minnesota with 900 lbs. of marijuana and other products containing THC.
Criminal complaints filed against 30-year-old Jared Michael Desroches of Missoula, MT., and 24-year-old Alexander Clifford Gordon of Helena, MT., charge the two with Marijuana sales and possession. Each of the charges carries the potential of a 30-year prison sentence.
On Saturday, March 2 a Minnesota State Trooper and his K-9 partner were patrolling I-94 near the Brandon exit when the trooper noticed a pickup pulling a camper eastbound. The vehicle caught the trooper's attention as it is uncommon to see a camper being towed in Minnesota during the winter months. As the pickup passed his position the trooper noticed a large crack in the windshield, something he believed was a clear equipment violation.
After following the vehicle and noticing that the driver was weaving over the fog line and onto the shoulder the truck was pulled over. The trooper immediately suspected that Desroches and Gordon were involved in drug smuggling due to inconsistent stories about their travel. His K-9 partner Argo also indicated that drugs were present.
A search of the truck yielded loose marijuana and canisters, pipes and glass jars containing concentrated THC products. The trooper also found the keys to the camper. Upon opening it he found the camper filled from floor to ceiling with garbage bags loaded with marijuana, 406 one-gram packages of THC concentrate, 112 glass jars containing THC wax and $15,500 in currency.
Desroches allegedly told the trooper he was going to be paid $30,000 for transporting the drugs. All told, investigators believe the drugs found in the camper would have a street value of $4.25 million.
