RAPID CITY, SD — Amid a rush of DUI-related arrests this Halloween weekend, a traffic stop resulted in the discovery of methamphetamine and the recovery of two stolen firearms.
At around 12:30am on November 1st, police observed a “suspicious hand-to-hand transaction” at the Harbor Freight located at 1555 Haines Avenue. After exiting the parking lot, the vehicle of the individuals engaging in this transaction was stopped by police, where 21-year-old Airenlee Richmond of Black Hawk and 46-year-old Larry Wenthold of Box Elder were identified as driver and passenger respectively.
Officers involved noted a distinct smell of marijuana smoke within the vehicle, which neither passenger provided legal reason for, and given Richmond’s past history of distribution the vehicle and its passengers were searched. “Wenthold’s person turned up a digital scale which contained a substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine,” Said the RCPD in a statement following the incident, “A search of the vehicle turned up two firearms, one of which was determined to be stolen. Police also located a baggie containing a substance which field tested positive for methamphetamine, along with several other items of associated paraphernalia”.
Following this discovery Richmond was placed under arrest for Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of a Firearm with a Prior Felony Drug Conviction, and Receiving Stolen Property. Wenthold was placed under arrest on charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Possession of a Firearm by a Former Violent Offender.