47 lbs. of pot seized in Silverthorne

SILVERTHORNE, Colo. ” A Silverthorne man was arrested on Wednesday after almost 47 pounds of marijuana was discovered in his truck during a traffic stop, police said.

Thomas Ray Long II, 36, was charged with possession and distribution of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of 8 ounces of more of marijuana and failing to drive in the correct lane. He posted $7,500 bond and has been released from jail.

Long (no relation to Summit County Commissioner Tom Long) declined to comment when reached at his home north of Silverthorne on Thursday afternoon.

Silverthorne Police Officer Theresa Barger stopped Long just before 3 p.m. on Wednesday at 3rd St. and Adams Ave. in Silverthorne when he ran at a stop sign and was driving in the wrong lane, according to a report from the Silverthorne Police Department.

As Barger approached the vehicle, she allegedly smelled a strong odor marijuana coming from inside Long’s truck. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers found four large lawn bags filled with marijuana, police said.

The Summit County Drug Task Force agents were contacted and seized a total of 46.8 pounds of marijuana in the truck. The marijuana has a street value of about $138,000, said Veronica Nicholas, spokeswoman for the Silverthorne Police Department.

The pot was split into 47 blocks, each weighing approximately one pound, leading drug agents to believe Long planned to sell the marijuana, said Judy Scollard, with the task force.

Scollard said the bust was the largest the task force has made in some time.