Two California men were arrested early Thanksgiving Day after an Oregon State Police trooper pulled over their vehicle and discovered what authorities said was a kilo of cocaine, more than $100,000 in cash and other illegal narcotics.
Scott Andersen, 49, of Costa Mesa, California, and Jacob Flora, 46, of Huntington Beach, California, were arrested and lodged in the Malheur County Jail on a host of charges.
Andersen, the driver of the SUV, was charged in Malheur County Circuit Court with felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of cocaine and DUI.
Flora, the passenger, was charged with unlawful possession of cocaine and unlawful possession of a firearm.
The incident began at about 12:04 a.m. when OSP trooper Richard Burke pulled the Kia Sportage SUV over five miles from the Oregon-Idaho border on U.S. Highway 95 in Malheur County.
“I observed a vehicle in south bound on Hwy 95 at mile post 3 in Idaho displaying very dangerous driving behavior,” Burke wrote in his affidavit.
“There were obvious signs of ongoing drug use in the vehicle,” said Lt. Mark Duncan, Oregon State Police Ontario station commander.
In his affidavit, Burke wrote he noticed in Andersen’s lap a glass pipe he believed was used to smoke methamphetamine. Burke then asked Andersen if there were any weapons in the SUV.
“Scott told me there was a pistol in the driver’s door,” wrote Burke.
Burke then removed a 9 mm pistol with a bullet chambered and then Flora told the trooper there was a second gun in the vehicle.
Burke wrote Andersen had “glassy bloodshot eyes, lethargic facial expression and slow movements.”
Anderson consented to a field sobriety test and was then arrested for being under the influence of intoxicants. A search of the SUV then revealed the second loaded gun and the kilo of cocaine.
“The packaged drugs were sitting on top of a bag in plain view,” wrote Burke.
Shortly after, Flora was also arrested.
After police obtained a search warrant for the SUV, they discovered another gun, a silencer and $154,910 in cash.
They also found 23 grams of suspected methamphetamine and 18 grams of suspected ketamine, an anesthetic used by medical professionals and veterinarians.
“We are aggressively pursuing narcotic enforcement in the Malheur County area and expect more cases like this to be revealed,” said Duncan.
Duncan said there is “so much trafficking going on right now, we believe this is just one of many.”
“There are many, many loads (of illegal drugs) that happen weekly and we are aggressively seeking out those individuals,” said Duncan.
According to court documents, Flora sought but was declined a court-appointed attorney because he reported having a monthly income of $10,000. Flora was lodged in the jail on a $25,000 bond. Flora recently posted bail but Andersen remains in jail on a $500,000 bond.
News tip? Contact reporter Pat Caldwell at [email protected]
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