By Kelsey Givens

Nye County Sheriff’s deputies helped remove approximately 15 grams of methamphetamine from the streets of Pahrump last week after receiving new information on several alleged drug dealers in the area.

On Thursday, a Nye County Sheriff’s narcotics detective reportedly received information that a man named Matthew Aaron Wineteer and a female named “Jen” were coming back to Pahrump from Las Vegas with seven grams, or one-fourth of an ounce, of methamphetamine in their possession. The detective also learned that the pair, reportedly traveling in a white Honda sedan, planned to sell the methamphetamine that evening in the Walmart parking lot.

As the two were traveling northbound on State Route 160 just before 9 p.m., they were pulled over by detectives near Calvada Boulevard.

A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle based on information police had that they were currently in possession of narcotics as well as older information they had collected on Wineteer regarding the sales of methamphetamine.

As officers conducted their search, they reportedly found a methamphetamine pipe shoved down near the passenger seat of the car and as well as a plastic bundle of methamphetamine on the ground where police told Wineteer to stand when he got out of the vehicle.

Both Wineteer and the female were arrested on charges of trafficking methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia and transported to the Nye County Detention Center to be booked into custody.

Two days later another man in an unrelated case was also arrested for low-level trafficking of methamphetamine after police reportedly found 8.1 grams of the drug in his possession.

According to a declaration of arrest in the case, Marcus Martinez was arrested around 2:45 p.m. Friday after police received information that he was allegedly selling drugs from his home at 4630 Pawnee Pl.

An officer set up surveillance on his residence and a short time later saw a grey four-door vehicle leave the property heading northbound on Quarter Horse Avenue.

The officer followed the suspect vehicle, which he then reportedly observed drift over the fog line on the side of the road before turning left into the Coyote Corner parking lot without using a turn signal.

Another deputy on patrol conducted a traffic stop with the suspect in the parking lot and deputies made contact with Martinez who allegedly said he didn’t know why they had stopped him.

In plain view inside his car, police could allegedly see a suspicious looking object, two wrapped up paper towels tied together with a twist tie, in the driver’s side door handle.

A K-9 unit was brought to the scene to search for possible illegal drugs, and after being walked around the outside of the car, the dog reportedly gave a positive indication of drugs inside the driver’s side area of the vehicle.

Police then searched Martinez’s car at which time they found that the suspicious looking paper towels contained two plastic bags of what was believed to be methamphetamine, each weighing approximately 3.5 grams. A search of Martinez’s person also revealed two additional packages of methamphetamine, one weighing approximately .7 grams and the other .4 grams.

Martinez was subsequently placed under arrest and transported to the Nye County Detention Center to be booked into custody on charges of low-level trafficking methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell, conspiracy to violate the Uniform Controlled Substance Act, turn signal required and failure to maintain lane.

A test conducted on the substances found in the vehicle and in Martinez’s pockets tested presumptive positive for methamphetamine.