Forgetful Iowa Suspect Arrested For Drugs

Leroy J. Priest III apparently told a police officer he "forgot" he had marijuana in his pocket when it dropped onto the ground during a patdown.

Dec. 15, 2011

2 min read

Dec. 15--Leroy J. Priest III apparently told a police officer he "forgot" he had marijuana in his pocket when it dropped onto the ground during a patdown.

Worse, authorities said the 21-year-old Burlington man attempted to discard five "dime bags" of pot on the back seat of a police cruiser.

Priest was booked into the Des Moines County jail Tuesday charged in an initial complaint with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver. Police said more charges are pending.

Tuesday afternoon, an agent from the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force was driving on Maple Street turning onto South 10th Street when he saw a Buick LeSabre speeding.

The vehicle was pulled over, and the driver was identified as Priest. Two passengers were inside the car.

While speaking with Priest, the agent said he smelled the odor of marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle, prompting him to tell Priest to get out of the car.

Priest, when asked, reportedly told the agent "someone had been smoking marijuana earlier," inside the vehicle.

During a patdown search, the agent found what authorities described as "a large amount of U.S. currency."

When a small plastic bag of pot fell on the ground, Priest allegedly said, "I forgot that was there."

A search of Priest's pants pocket revealed unused Ziplock baggies, authorities said.

After he was placed at the back of a patrol car, Priest reportedly was seen moving around the back seat.

Authorities searched the cruiser and reportedly found a large bag containing five smaller plastic packages of marijuana, packaged in dime bags, the street term for $10 per bag.