Bail jumper lands back in local jail
RALPH BARTHOLDT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 10 months AGO
A man who drove east on Interstate 90 two years ago with 37 pounds of marijuana in his trunk returned to jail Friday after his arrest on a warrant for jumping bail.
Timothy O. Shofner had already accepted a plea agreement in a Coeur d’Alene court that called for a suspended prison sentence, but he skipped bail and failed to appear for sentencing a year ago.
Last Friday, however, Shofner was arrested by deputies in Kootenai County and booked back into the jail where he remains on a no-bond hold.
His sentencing is scheduled for March 19.
Shofner, 29, and Katlynn M. Johnson, 24, were driving east over Fourth of July Pass in a red Dodge Durango, Feb. 2, 2017, when they were stopped by Idaho State Police for a traffic infraction. Troopers smelled marijuana in the vehicle and Shofner told them he had dispensary cannabis, according to a report.
A search of the SUV uncovered 37 pounds of marijuana partitioned into 39 heat-sealed bags, police said.
Shofner allegedly told troopers he was being paid to transport the pot from Oregon to Minnesota. He was charged with felony trafficking which carries a mandatory minimum five-year sentence. Johnson was not charged.
After a year of hearings, Shofner, who posted bail not long after his arrest, pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement to possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
First District Judge Richard Christensen said he would consider the plea agreement that called for a five-year suspended sentence, five months in the local jail and a $5,000 fine.
But Shofner failed to appear for sentencing a year ago, and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
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