By Patti Weaver
(Stillwater, Okla.) — An Oklahoma City man has been jailed on $100,000 bail pending a June 5 court appearance on a charge of trafficking methamphetamine at Highway 177 and 32nd Avenue south of Stillwater in a case investigated by the Payne County Sheriff’s Office.
Minh Pham, 43, who was already on probation in McClain and Grady counties, was arrested at 4:03 am on May 22 by Payne County Sheriff’s Deputy Joseph Jones, who was patrolling the area when he saw a silver Honda with an unreadable temporary tag and a border on the license plate causing parts of the tag to be unreadable, his affidavit alleged.
“I later learned the vehicle was originally purchased on 4/16/2023, even though it had a temporary tag stating it was purchased on 05/04/2023,” the deputy alleged in his affidavit.
While Deputy Jones was questioning the driver whose license was suspended, he heard Deputy Donato Lomboy ask Pham, a passenger in the front seat, to step out of the vehicle, the affidavit alleged.
“As Pham stepped out of the vehicle, I observed a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine laying on the passenger floorboard,” Deputy Jones alleged in his affidavit.
“Deputy Lomboy advised me he observed a glass pipe commonly used to smoke methamphetamine in Pham’s lap. Deputy Lomboy informed me once out of the vehicle, he asked Pham if he had anything else on him, and Pham replied, ‘Yes, some dope.’
“Deputy Lomboy advised he located a clear bag containing a crystal-like substance in the right pocket of his shorts. Deputy Lomboy stated he asked Pham if he had anything else on him, and Pham responded, ‘Yes, in my other pocket.’
“Deputy Lomboy informed me that he located a zip-top baggy containing a crystal-like substance and a glass tube containing a white crystal-like substance in Pham’s left pocket. Deputy Lomboy stated he located $1,265 total in cash in Pham’s pockets,” Deputy Jones alleged in his affidavit.
Pham said that the crystal-like substance was methamphetamine and belonged to him along with the glass pipe, the affidavit alleged. “While on the scene, the largest bag of methamphetamine was weighed,” at 26.25 grams, the affidavit alleged.
After being transported to the Payne County Jail, “Pham advised he won a jackpot at the Newcastle casino and bought the methamphetamine. Pham advised he does not sell and that all the methamphetamine in his possession was for his personal use. Pham advised he had approximately 27-28 grams in his possession,” the affidavit alleged.
However, at the Sheriff’s Office when the deputy weighed the methamphetamine, it totaled 40 grams — twice the amount required for a trafficking charge, which carries a maximum penalty of a 20-year prison term and a $200,000 fine, court records show.
According to court records and the Oklahoma Department of Corrections, Pham, who has also been known as Bee Pham, Mingbong N. Pham, and Minh-Bough N. Pham, was previously convicted of:
* assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Tuttle in 2014 for which he was placed on 10 years’ probation in Grady County in 2015;
* methamphetamine possession after a prior felony conviction in Newcastle in 2015 for which he was placed on 10 years’ probation in McClain County in 2018;
* two counts of attempt to obtain money under false pretenses in Oklahoma City in 2000 for which he was placed on five years’ probation in Oklahoma County in 2002.
