Aberdeen man accused of dealing drugs to veterans; bomb squad called to house after grenades found

Freamont Jess Ellis | Bingham County Jail ABERDEEN — A 77-year-old man has been charged after a search of his vehicle and home produced large amounts of narcotics and numerous hand grenades. According to court documents, on Nov. 7, a deputy with the Bingham County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Freamont Jess Ellis of Aberdeen after a silver truck ran a stop sign near 1900 South. Once the deputy arrived next to the driver’s side of the truck, the deputy allegedly smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from within. When told of the marijuana smell, Ellis told the deputy he had some inside of the vehicle and patted a plastic ammo case, according to court documents. The deputy had Ellis step out of his vehicle, and an attempt to search his person began. However, Ellis kept putting his hands inside his pockets and was extremely nervous, the deputy said. After the search, the deputy found four bags of a leafy green substance and a small plastic tube with white residue. The documents state Ellis told the deputy it was coke. Ellis was placed under arrest, and a search of his truck began. Inside the plastic ammo containers, the deputy found a loaded pistol with four loaded magazines. Here are the substances deputies say they found: In a large ammo box: 31.7 grams of psychedelic mushrooms 35.6 grams of a brown substance 338.75 grams of powder 31.7 grams of brown powder 70 grams in 5 baggies of brown powder 5 syringes of 5 ml yellow liquid In a small ammo box: 92.56 grams in 3 bags of powder On Ellis’ person: 116.55 grams in 4 bags of marijuana 1 plastic tube of cocaine The brown powder was tested and returned with a positive match for both THC and methamphetamines. The document states Ellis was read his Miranda rights and was asked if he was dealing narcotics, which he told the deputy he was dealing to veterans in the area, “but not young guys.” Officers with the sheriff’s office and Blackfoot Police Department went to the man’s home in Aberdeen to execute a search warrant. At the man’s home, detectives found a pound of marijuana next to a safe in a detached shop next to the home. Inside the safe, there were vials of THC. The document states that during the search, a detective looked through a plastic bin and discovered multiple hand grenades. Explosive material had been placed inside the grenades, and they had been sealed with a fuse attached. The search was put on pause, and a bomb squad from Idaho Falls was called out to assess the explosives. A new search warrant was obtained for the explosives, and on Nov. 8, the bomb squad found nine grenades and destroyed them on the scene. An empty grenade was seized and was later returned. Ellis was booked into the Bingham County jail, where he faces five felony charges of unlawful possession of a bomb, trafficking methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance and two counts of manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance. He faces a possible punishment of a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison. Although Ellis has been charged with these crimes, it does not necessarily mean he committed them. Everyone is presumed innocent until they are proven guilty. The post Aberdeen man accused of dealing drugs to veterans; bomb squad called to house after grenades found appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com