Man arrested on drug charge

Thu., June 12, 2008

The Spokesman-Review

A 32-year-old Spokane Valley man was arrested on felony drug charges last week after his failure to signal a turn caught the eye of a curious officer.

The driver was northbound on Evergreen when he made an abrupt and unsignaled turn as officer Jeff Welton approached him from behind. Instead of pulling into the parking lot of a convenience store located at Broadway Avenue, the driver pulled into an alley behind the store.

Noting the traffic violation, Welton contacted the visibly nervous driver, Russell D. McLean, 12120 E. Eighth Ave., and determined his driver’s license is suspended.

The officer arrested McLean for the misdemeanor violation and then searched his car. Inside he discovered a drug pipe with methamphetamine residue, drug scales with meth residue, and a large plastic baggie containing three or four grams of meth. A cellular phone inside the car rang repeatedly until its battery died.

Welton searched McLean’s wallet and discovered more than $1,300, mostly in $20 bills, a denomination favored for meth purchases.

McLean was arrested for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and booked at the Spokane County Jail on the felony charge.

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