By Patti Weaver

 

  (Stillwater, Okla.) — A 46-year-old man arrested in Ripley has been jailed on $25,000 bail pending his arraignment this week on a felony charge of illegally possessing marijuana with intent to distribute — that he allegedly admitted came from the grow farm where he resides at 18621 E. 6th in Yale.
    The defendant, Shuquan Chen, was interviewed in jail by Payne County Sheriff’s Investigator Brandon Myers with the help of a DEA agent, who spoke Mandarin, an affidavit alleged.
    After a traffic stop on a truck that Chen was driving in Ripley, authorities confiscated 16 bags of suspected marijuana with a total weight of 21.25 pounds, as well as $1,926.27 on Chen’s person, an affidavit alleged.
    “During the interview Chen said the cash that was on his person in the jail was a loan to pay an overdraft on his credit card. Chen would not disclose where he was taking the marijuana to, after initially saying he was taking it to Oklahoma City to be tested.
    “Chen did admit the marijuana came from the grow farm where he resides at 18621 E. 6th in Yale. Chen was not forthcoming with information about the operation or his involvement in today’s activities.
    “The interview was concluded with the DEA agent and Investigator Myers tried to continue speaking with Chen. Chen requested a lawyer, and the interview was concluded,” the affidavit said.
    According to an affidavit by William Bowen, a certified reserve police officer employed by the Payne County Sheriff’s Office assigned to the town of Ripley, Chen was arrested at 3:52 pm on Sept. 19 at Highway 108 and Knipe Street in Ripley after being stopped for allegedly driving 59 mph in a 35 mph zone at Highway 108 and First Street.
    “While I was at the window, I could detect a strong odor of fresh marijuana coming from the vehicle. I asked Chen if he had his medical marijuana card. He said he did not. I asked Chen if there was marijuana in the vehicle. He said there was not.
    “I asked Chen if he worked around marijuana, and he said he did not. I googled an image of marijuana and showed it to Chen and asked him if he grew or worked around marijuana and he said he did not.
    “I asked Chen to open the rear passenger compartment of his vehicle. Inside I observed a black duffel type bag and a cardboard box,” both of which contained suspected marijuana, the officer alleged in his affidavit.
    If convicted of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute, Chen could be given a seven-year prison term and a $100,000 fine, according to the felony charge filed last week in Payne County District Court.