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Sheriff: Soldiers had 680 pounds of pot
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Maricopa County sheriff's deputies busted three U.S. Army soldiers with almost 700 pounds of marijuana and $10,000 in cash during a two-day sweep for human smugglers.
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| Romaine May |
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| Llewellyn K. Stamoulis |
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| Dwayne Campbell |
The three men were wearing military clothing and identified themselves with military ID cards when they were stopped for speeding at Table Mesa Road and Interstate 17 north of New River on Tuesday.
Arpaio conducts two-day immigration sweep
According to court documents, the men had 680 pounds of marijuana stuffed into 12 military duffle bags in the back of a rented Chevrolet Suburban.
Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the men flew from New York to Tucson, where they rented the Suburban, and they were on their way to Cincinnati.
Arpaio said his office is working with the U.S. Army to figure out where the men are stationed. So far, only one of the men has been confirmed to be in the Army.
Arrested were Llewellyn K. Stamoulis, 26, of Bronx, N.Y.; Romaine May, 21, of Chicago, Ill.; and Dwayne Campbell Jr., 25, of Bronx, N.Y.
In all, deputies made 51 arrests, 37 of whom were suspected illegal immigrants.
Lt. Brian Lee, sheriff's spokesman, said 34 of the suspected illegal immigrants were booked on state human smuggling allegations and the rest were turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to court documents, a deputy clocked the Suburban going 5 mph over the speed limit and pulled it over.
When the deputy walked up on the vehicle, he could smell the marijuana.
The deputy found that Stamoulis' driver's license was revoked and from there was able to begin questioning him about the bags.
"Now we have to develop the case," Arpaio said. "See if it is bigger."
Arpaio said Monday at the kickoff of the two-day operation that deputies would target tractor-trailers and other load vehicles traveling along alternative routes Valleywide.
The U.S. government stripped the sheriff's office of its federal authority to enforce immigration law on the street, but he can still fight illegal immigration using state laws.
He also retained federal authority to screen inmates for their immigration status as they are booked into jail.
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