Georgia Man Indicted for Meth, Cocaine Following Highway Stop

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Dalton, Ga., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today after a large amount of methamphetamine was found in his vehicle when he was stopped for speeding on Interstate 70 in Lafayette County, Mo.

Ricardo Turrubiartes Amaro, 21, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Turrubiartes Amaro on Oct. 23, 2018.

The indictment charges Turrubiartes Amaro with one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing cocaine.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped Turrubiartes Amaro, who was driving a rented Hyundai Accent, for speeding on Interstate 70 in Lafayette County, on Oct. 22, 2018. Upon searching the vehicle, the trooper found a dollar bill in the center console that was folded and contained cocaine, the affidavit says, and another folded dollar bill that contained cocaine inside Turrubiartes Amaro’s wallet. Turrubiartes Amaro was arrested and the trooper continued to search the vehicle.

As the trooper searched the trunk of the vehicle, he found a bag that contained four gallon-size zip lock freezer bags with a total of four kilograms of methamphetamine.

The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Q. McCarther. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.