A Parsons man caught with nearly 2 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and about $2,000 cash will stand trial on drug distribution charges.
John P. Goodbar, 51, 2301 Washington, is charged in Labette County District Court with possession with intent to distribute meth, a high-level felony, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors. After a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Judge Fred W. Johnson agreed to order Goodbar tried for using a communication facility to arrange for the drugs. The charge is a low-level felony.
Labette County Sheriff’s Department deputies and officers arrested Goodbar on May 2 at 22000 and Ford roads in the Big Hill Lake area. He had been stopped for disobeying a stop sign. When Goodbar got out of the car, a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, deputies saw a glass smoking pipe. A K-9 indicated the presence of drugs in the trunk and deputies found a black Nike insulated lunch box with baggies containing about 2 pounds of ice, or crystal meth. Officers also found $1,933 in cash in Goodbar’s wallet, according to information released at the time. A list in Goodbar’s wallet had names with numbers next to them.
Sheriff’s Detective Shannon Vail was the only state witness on Wednesday at Goodbar’s preliminary hearing.
He testified that a Kansas Bureau of Investigation lab confirmed the crystalline substance was meth and weighed 888.20 grams, or 1.96 pounds.
During an interview, after Goodbar was read his Miranda warning, Goodbar told Vail that he bought 2 pounds of meth from a middle man for the Mexican drug cartel in Tulsa for $7,000. He said he set up the transaction by phone.
Goodbar told Vail that he’d been to Tulsa 20 or 25 times for meth. He originally started buying 1 pound quantities, but he didn’t make enough money doing that, Vail testified. So he began buying 2 pound quantities and had made six to eight trips to Tulsa to purchase it. Overall, Goodbar told the detective that he probably purchased 33 pounds of meth and transported it to Labette County.
On cross examination, Goodbar’s attorney Christopher Meek asked about a law enforcement operation to follow Goodbar that night. Vail testified that his department used a tracking device to follow Goodbar’s movements. A handful of deputies were involved in the operation that culminated in the traffic stop, Vail testified. He said officers didn’t know if Goodbar would have drugs in his car.
Meek also asked Vail if he spoke to the county attorney on his client’s behalf as he told Goodbar he would in the interview. Vail testified that he told Goodbar if he helped himself and helped the detective make more cases he would speak to the county attorney on his behalf, but Goodbar didn’t cooperate in making additional cases. Meek asked Vail if he lied to Goodbar.
“I did not lie to him,” Vail said.
Meek also asked about the information that led investigators to Goodbar and to their tracking his movements. Some information came from previous investigations and other details came from an informant working with law officers, Vail testified.
Vail was the only witness Deputy County Attorney Mandy Johnson called. Meek called Deputy Tony Adamson to testify and asked about the traffic stop and his K-9 partner Memphis’ walk around Goodbar’s car. Meek also heard that deputies had followed Goodbar through Labette County before May 2 but didn’t have a reason to pull him over. Adamson testified that Goodbar generally took a different route from the one he took on May 2.
After testimony, Johnson ordered Goodbar to stand trial on the original charge plus the added charge of using a communication device in a drug transaction.
Arraignment will be Feb. 24.
