HUTCHINSON, Kan. — A 54-year-old man arrested and charged back in October in a meth distribution case now faces a second case where he’s charged in a distribution case.
Darren Stephenson was in court Monday where he read the complaint that alleges he was in possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute and personal use paraphernalia.
The state alleges he was in possession of a sellers quantity of marijuana as well as the meth when he was arrested by Hutchinson Police back on Feb. 1st.
In the earlier case, Stephenson is also charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, no tax stamp and personal use drug paraphernalia.
A drug-related search was done on his property in the 1400 block of North Forest. Drug Unit detectives say that inside his bedroom where they found a wooden box containing a digital scale with white residue, new baggies, a zip-close bag with a crystal substance, later determined to be three grams of meth. They also found a glass pipe with burnt vegetation, another pipe with burnt residue, a second baggie with green vegetation that weighed about a gram and tested positive for marijuana, and a used bag with crystal residue which is also believed to have been meth.
He is free on bond in both cases and the latest case will be scheduled for future hearings along with the earlier one.
Stephenson has prior convictions for aggravated indecent liberties with a child and obstruction of the legal process for crimes in Rice County. The indecent liberties charge goes back to 1999 and the obstruction charge occurred back in 2006.