Crime & Safety
Texas Man Charged In Hotel Drug Bust
Police say suspect had nearly one pound of marijuana inside a backpack.
A Dallas man is facing charges after he was at an Oak Creek hotel.
Johnny Keophilavanh, 27, was charged in Milwaukee County Circuit Court Tuesday with one count of second-offense possession of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. If convicted, he faces up to 3 ½ years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
According to the criminal complaint:
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On April 12, an Oak Creek police officer on patrol spotted a car making a wide and dangerous U-turn, then followed it as it drove toward the , 6362 S. 13th St.
The car pulled into the parking lot and Keophilavanh came up to the car with a duffle bag, began to talk, then got in. He eventually got out of the vehicle and tried to re-enter his hotel room.
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The officer approached the driver about the U-turn and discovered he didn't have a valid driver's license. The officer could smell marijuana coming from the car and found three quarters of a pound in a backpack. Keophilavanh admitted the drugs were his.
According to a police report, police also found drug paraphernalia in Keophilavanh's hotel room.
He was assigned $600 bail while awaiting trial.
According to online court records, Keophilavanh was previously convicted of manufacturing/delivering drugs in 2008 while living in Milwaukee.
