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California man charged with trafficking

RALPH BARTHOLDT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 10 months AGO
by RALPH BARTHOLDT
Staff Writer | February 22, 2020 1:00 AM

A suspended California driver’s license and the strong smell of marijuana led to a drug trafficking arrest this week on Seltice Way in Coeur d’Alene.

After his car was stopped around 7 p.m. Tuesday, Eduardo L. Madueno, 25, told police he was unemployed and that he lost his driving privileges because he had failed to appear in a pending court case.

A First District magistrate set bail at $50,000 for Madueno, who is charged with trafficking between 1 and 5 pounds of marijuana. A conviction carries a mandatory minimum sentence of a year behind bars and a fine of up to $5,000.

Madueno is also charged with possession of a controlled substance, which can carry up to seven years in prison.

Police said Madueno was driving erratically in a green Honda Accord when he turned from Northwest Boulevard west onto Seltice Way.

When officers stopped the Accord, they could smell the strong odor of marijuana, and Madueno said he had just finished smoking cannabis in his car, according to a police report.

Madueno told police he had around 3 pounds of marijuana in a backpack in the car as well as a substantial amount of cocaine, according to a report.

Idaho State Police searched the vehicle and found 2 ½ pounds of marijuana and about a half ounce of cocaine in the car, police said.

Defense attorneys asked for a bond of $10,000 or less, citing a host of medical issues that Madueno must attend to, and that he has a girlfriend who would make sure he appeared at his court hearings.

His next appearance is within 14 days if he pays the bail amount, or 21 days if he stays in jail.

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