WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – A man suspected of trafficking 15 pounds of pot across state lines made a crucial error by stopping in Walnut Ridge to “roll a blunt,” sending him to the slammer for his troubles.
At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Walnut Ridge Police Department made contact with an individual, Adham Mohamed Qattoum, 22, of Decatur, Ill. parked in the middle of the parking lot at Flash Market on Highway 67 B South, Police Chief Chris Kirksey told NEA Report.
“He had been complained on – people thought he might even be asleep behind the wheel,” Kirksey said.
Officers made contact and when they approached, they saw a bag of marijuana that a bag of marijuana was open in the individuals lap. Responding officers said Qattoum’s first question was, “Are y’all the po-po?”
“That was confirmed,” Kirksey said.
When asked what the suspect was doing, he said, “rolling a blunt,” police said.
After further investigation into the situation, police found over 15 pounds of marijuana in bags. Each bag was a little over 1 pound.
The suspect was on his way from Little Rock to Decatur, Illinois, police learned. The man said he was sleepy and stopped to get a hit off of the weed – a statement police noted made no sense.
In addition to finding loads of marijuana, several counterfeit $100 were found by police. The money, which at a distance appears to be legitimate, can actually be seen to have “For Motion Picture Use Only” stamped on the right side of the bill. WRPD says for a small amount of money, some individuals buy hundreds of thousands of “dollars” in counterfeit money online.
A search by NEA Report shows Qattoum has an arrest record in Decatur, with a Jan. 1, 2013 offense for driving under the influence of drugs, possession of marijuana and other charges.
For his latest suspected crimes, Qattoum faces felony charges including delivery of a controlled substance and criminal simulation, along with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia charges.
He is currently being held in Lawrence County Jail awaiting bond hearings.
Photos provided by WRPD
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