2 arrested after traffic stop leads to Longview drug raid
What started with a traffic stop earlier this month has culminated with a SWAT raid on a Longview home, two arrests and the removal of what police believe to be roughly $80,000 worth of illicit narcotics.
David Jonathon Clark, 47, of Longview and Belvis Tolentino Rasgado, 23, of Dillon, Colorado, have each been charged in Cowlitz Superior Court with felony counts of possessing controlled substances with intent to deliver them.
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Their arrests and criminal charges reportedly stem from a June 18 traffic stop and an ensuing June 23 raid on Clark's home in the 3100 block of Garfield Street, which police say that together resulted in the seizure of 7.78 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, a little over a quarter pound of suspected fentanyl, half an ounce of suspected black tar heroin, two firearms and the seizure of a combined $4,202 in cash believed to be drug proceeds.
According to a release from the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, the meth had a street value of approximately $70,000, the 4.42 ounces of fentanyl had a street value of $12,000 and the heroin had a street value about $700.
A traffic stop for expired tags
The bulk of the drugs were seized during what began as a traffic stop for expired tags at 11:33 p.m. June 18 in the 300 block of Beech Street in Longview.
Inside the 2012 Volkswagen Passat that Tolentino Rasgado was driving, police say they observed a small digital scale on the front passenger seat, as well as a black tool bag in the back seat.
Drugs, guns seized in Longview traffic stop
A narcotics investigation sparked by a June 18 traffic stop in Longview culminated in the seizure of drugs with a street value somewhere around $80,000 including 7.78 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and more than a quarter pound of fentanyl.
Police say that Tolentino Rasgado gave police consent to search the vehicle and found nine plastic bags containing a "white crystal substance" suspected to be methamphetamine inside the bag, the suspected black tar heroin and multiple Ziplock bags to repackage the drugs, according to an affidavit filed by Longview police in Cowlitz Superior Court.
Police also say they found two firearms inside the car - a loaded Sig Sauer pistol and a loaded 300 Windham Weaponry Blackout rifle - and $3,842 in cash.
Tolentino Rasgado is identified as Belvin Rasagado-Tolentino in the sheriff's office press release, but Cowlitz County Jail, Cowlitz County Superior Court and a charging document filed by the Cowlitz County Prosecutor's office each refer to him as Belvis Tolentino Rasgado. Court records show differing states of residence for Tolentino Rasgado.
Police say they found an Arizona Department of Corrections card in his wallet showing him to be a felon in that state, along with a Connecticut driver's license. At the time of the traffic stop, he listed a Seattle area Motel 6 as his address. A later charging document filed by the prosecutor's office lists a Dillon, Colorado address. The affidavit also states that Tolentino Rasgado had a work visa in his wallet, but court records do not list a nationality.
Searching the home
It was through that investigation that the multi-agency Cowlitz County Crime Reduction Team gathered information for a search warrant on Clark's home, which was served shortly after 6 a.m. Tuesday, with the help of Lower Columbia SWAT.
Narcotics raid on Garfield Street home
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office Crime Reduction Team and Lower Columbia SWAT descend on a Garfield Street home as part of a drug investigation that ultimately culminated with two arrests.
Investigators say they found evidence that Clark had been selling illicit narcotics, including fentanyl pills, meth and potentially the controlled substance buprenorphine, in Cowlitz County. According to an affidavit filed in Clark's case, evidence also included a tool bag in his garage identical to the bag reportedly found meth in Tolentino Rasgado's Volkswagen.
Investigators also found five fentanyl pills known as "blues," which are stamped to resemble oxycodone pills, along with multiple baggies and containers with suspected drug residues, drug packaging material, six digital scales, two cellphones belonging to Clark and $360 in cash.
Clark made a preliminary appearance in Cowlitz Superior Court Wednesday on felony counts of possessing with intent to deliver methamphetamine and fentanyl. His next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Monday, and records show he has been released from jail after posting $10,000 bail.
Tolentino was charged in Cowlitz Superior Court Tuesday with felony counts of manufacturing and delivering fentanyl, manufacturing and delivering meth and manufacturing and delivering heroin, and is scheduled to be formally arraigned on July 1. As of Thursday, Cowlitz County Jail records show he remains an inmate held on $50,000 bail.
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