Another Midwest Traffic Stop Leads To Another Arcata Pot Bust
Photos courtesy Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office
HCSO Press Release
IOWA/ARCATA – On Thursday, Jan. 17 at about 4:15 p.m. an agent with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force received a telephone call from a Special Agent with the Iowa State Narcotics Task Force. The Special Agent; relayed the following information to the Humboldt County Drug Task Force Agent. On Wednesday, Jan. 16 at about 2 p.m. an Iowa State Trooper made traffic stop on a vehicle traveling east bound on Interstate Highway 80 near Atlantic, Iowa for a traffic violation.
The State Trooper discovered 100 individual one-pound bags on processed marijuana in the vehicle. Two suspects were arrested from the vehicle. Through their investigation in Iowa Officers learned that the marijuana came from a residence located in the 700 block of Park Avenue, Arcata. With the information provided by law enforcement in Iowa a Drug Task Force Agent obtained a search warrant for the residence.
At about 6:30 p.m. the Humboldt County Drug Task Force assisted by the Arcata Police Department and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the residence on Park Avenue.
Christopher Joseph Luddie
Officers detained two subjects at the residence who were identified as Christopher Joseph Luddie, 21, and Patrick Joseph Wall, 21. When officers searched the residence they located 122 individual one-pound bags of processed marijuana buds in one of the bedrooms. Officers located evidence of a butane hash lab in the residence, along with approximately one pound of hash. Officers also located an indoor marijuana growing room in the garage that had been recently harvested.
When officers searched one of the vehicles that was parked in front of the residence they discovered approximately $160,000 in cash inside of a duffle bag in the trunk of the vehicle. Officers seized the money for possible asset forfeiture.
Wall and Luddie were both arrested for cultivation and possession for sales of marijuana, for manufacturing of a hash lab and for conspiracy to commit a crime.
Patrick Joseph Wall
Both subjects were transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility and their bail was set at $500,000 dollars each.
This case is still under investigation by the Humboldt County Drug Task Force and the Iowa State Narcotics Task Force.
