A man suspected of dealing meth was arrested in Cortez on Sunday, Feb. 25, in one of six drug-related incidents reported in one week.
According to an incident report by Cortez patrol officer Brandon Gunderson, Brian Gesaman was pulled over at Conoco Gas Station, 302 W. Main St., on suspicion of driving while his license was revoked. Gunderson reportedly found eight small zip-lock bags in Gesaman’s pockets, containing a total of 7.5 grams of a crystalline substance that later tested presumptive positive for meth. The man was arrested on suspicion of unlawful distribution and possession of a controlled substance, as well as driving under restraint.
Gunderson reportedly pulled Gesaman over because he recognized him and knew from previous contacts that his license was revoked, due to three previous alcohol convictions. Gesaman was also on parole for another drug-related crime, according to the report.
Under Colorado law, possessing more than 7 grams of meth with intent to distribute it is a class 2 drug felony. Gunderson said in his report that the amount of meth in Gesaman’s possession, combined with the fact that it was packaged in small quantities, led him to believe the man intended to sell it. Gesaman’s cell phone was reportedly going off constantly throughout the arrest.
The suspect reportedly refused to answer any questions from police about what he intended to do with the drugs. A female passenger in his vehicle was not arrested, and no other drugs were found in the car. Gesaman’s cell phone and the bags of meth were confiscated as evidence.
Charges are scheduled to be filed against him on Wednesday.
Gesaman’s arrest came after several other Cortez residents were charged with possession of controlled substances in the same week. This was the highest number of drug-related arrests in a single week that police have reported in several months.
Police Lt. Andy Brock said Cortez often sees an upswing in drug-related incidents after a dealer brings a large load of meth into town. He would not say whether police believed the February arrests were connected, but he said they were not the result of increased drug patrols or investigations.
“There were no drug stings, just good police work,” he said.
Other arrestsA man was arrested Feb. 21 on suspicion of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, among other charges, after a small bag of hydrocodone pills was found in his backpack. He was originally pulled over in the 1000 block of Jackson Street for driving without functioning license plate lights. He reportedly claimed the pills were given to him by a friend, but would not give police the friend’s name.Two men were arrested Feb. 22 in the 300 block of West Main Street. While one of them was being arrested on a warrant, a small baggie containing meth was found in his pocket. Two meth pipes and a package of peyote were later found in a vehicle belonging to the other man. After they were taken to jail, a larger bag of meth was also reportedly found under the seat in the patrol car where the second man had been sitting.A man was arrested Feb. 24 on suspicion of driving under restraint in the 700 block of South Broadway. Several small bags containing white residue were found in his vehicle, but none of them contained enough substance for police to test.A man was arrested on numerous charges in the 10 block of South Cactus Street the night of Feb. 24 after he was pulled over for driving without headlights or taillights. A syringe loaded with heroin, a burned spoon and cotton ball soaked with heroin residue, a plastic container of heroin and a small plastic bag of meth were found in the man’s vehicle, along with a moderate amount of white residue suspected to be meth. The man reportedly told police none of the items were his, but would not say who they belonged to.On Feb. 27, two days after Gesaman’s arrest, a man was arrested at Montezuma County Combined Courts on nine warrants. While he was being transported to jail, he reportedly took a small plastic bag of meth out of his pocket and left it on the patrol car seat. A bag of marijuana was also found in one of his pockets.Later the same day, a man was arrested in the 500 block of East Montezuma Avenue after police responded to a report he was trying to break into a boarded-up residence. A makeup container with 3.4 grams of meth inside was found in his pocket.
