Traffic stops led to more than one drug bust this past week in Great Bend, Police Chief Cliff Couch said. Two suspects were arrested on charges of possession of marijuana and methamphetamine, while another person had “vape” vials containing suspected marijuana oil.
In his recap of recent events, cited below, Couch also described the arrest of a man on an outstanding warrant.
“Our department remains committed to addressing the various problems with crime in Great Bend, but one of theses arrests wouldn’t have taken place without direct cooperation between the Police Department, County Attorney’s Office, and the Sheriff’s Office,” Couch commented. “The Great Bend Police Department maintains committed to partnering with these agencies as we continue our effort to rid our streets of drugs and other crime.”

Marijuana and meth
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, officers stopped a vehicle for driving with an illegal tag in the area of 24th and Main Street. GBPD K-9 Lazer indicated the presence of illegal drugs in the car. Officers located marijuana and methamphetamine in the vehicle. The occupants of the vehicle, Ernest Klima, 55, and Tammy Gamino, 49, both of Great Bend, were both arrested and booked into jail in lieu of $10,000 bond.
Klima was booked for possession of meth, felony possession of marijuana, possession of paraphernalia, illegal tag and no insurance. He was later booked on a Central Kansas Community Corrections parole violation with no bond set. Gamino was booked for possession of meth and paraphernalia. She was released on Wednesday after posting a $10,000 surety bond.

Outstanding warrant
On Wednesday, Jan. 11, members of the Great Bend Police Department and Barton County Sheriff’s Office arrested Iban Martinez, (also known as Iban Maratinez-Enriquez) 19, of Great Bend, for an outstanding warrant. The warrant stemmed from an incident in April 2016. During this incident, Martinez was arrested when his truck, which was parked in front of Great Bend High School, was found to contain various types of drugs packaged for individual sale. He was released on bond, but was subsequently arrested when he was found in possession of a significant quantity of drugs in Hays.
Law enforcement advised the Barton County Attorney’s Office of Martinez’s new arrests, and the county attorney’s office obtained an arrest warrant, based on his allegedly violating the conditions of his bond from the initial offense. Officers located Martinez and took him into custody at Stone and 10th Street.
Investigation into his alleged drug activities is still ongoing.

Pot vials
Later Wednesday night, officers conducted a traffic stop in the 2600 block of 10th Street for driving without headlights. The driver, later identified as Richard New, 36, of Larkspur, Colorado, reportedly admitted to the officer that there were illegal narcotics in his vehicle. Officers seized 17 different “vape” vials which contained suspected marijuana oil. He was arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and turned over to the Barton County Jail. He was released after posting a $100,000 bond.