Three men were recently arrested following a traffic stop in Marion County. An officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol claimed that fake IDs and fraudulent credit cards were discovered in the vehicle. Now, each of three men is likely focused on preparing his criminal defense alongside legal counsel.
At 6:45 p.m, the trooper pulled the vehicle over on U.S. Highway 36, but the initial reason for the traffic stop is unknown. The trooper supposedly initiated a probable cause search of the vehicle, but whatever allegedly led the officer to do so is also entirely unclear. During the search of the vehicle, the trooper purportedly discovered fake IDs, as well as supposedly cloned credit cards. Additionally, the officer allegedly discovered multiple gift cards.
The three men are residents of another state, but they now face serious criminal charges in Missouri. The men, ages 27, 24 and 33, each face charges of felony money laundering and felony trafficking of stolen identities. They are all in custody at the Marion County Jail in lieu of $100,000 bonds each.
When an officer in Missouri conducts a traffic stop, that officer has specific rules and regulations regarding protocol for that stop. Whenever individuals are arrested following traffic stops, they may benefit from scrutinizing each aspect of their arrests, including the vehicle search, when forming their criminal defense. If it is found that an officer did not properly adhere to the strict guidelines when performing a search and arrest, then it would likely have an effect on the accused person’s case.
Source: wgem.com, “Three arrested after traffic stop in Marion Co.”, April 14, 2015