By Coco Wang
WOODLAND – After searching the defendant’s vehicle and residence, the police officer discovered multiple firearms, $14,000 in cash, and over 800 grams of heroin.
In this preliminary hearing, Robert James Reynolds was charged with ten felony counts including possession of a controlled substance for sale (substance being heroin), possession of firearms by a person previously convicted of felony, transportation of controlled substance (heroin), and three misdemeanors including possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting a public officer after being pulled over by two police officers in West Sacramento.
The People’s witness, Deputy Gary Richter, testified that he and another officer pulled over a pickup car registered to Robert Reynolds on Dec. 29, 2019. Deputy Richter acknowledged that he was familiar with Mr. Reynolds for arresting him at least twice regarding heroin before, and was aware that Mr. Reynolds was on a searchable warrant.
Deputy Richter testified that after Reynolds pulled over his car, instead of walking outside of his car as commanded, he attempted to reach for something from his passenger seat. In addition, Deputy Richter allegedly witnessed that Reynolds, after stepping outside of his car, was also not obeying the commands of the other officer.
During their search of Reynolds’s vehicle, Deputy Richter discovered glass paraphernalia for methamphetamine, which cracked as Deputy Richter was handling it, cutting both Mr. Reynolds and Deputy
Richter and causing them to bleed. After learning that Mr. Reynolds was Hepatitis C positive, Deputy Richter expressed his concerns and stated that he had done two blood draws since the incident, both showing negative for Hepatitis C.
As Deputy Richter continued the search, he stated that he discovered 5.5 grams of heroin, several used syringes, $14,000 in cash, 0.1 gram of methamphetamine, and a polymer pistol inside the vehicle.
Underneath Reynolds’s vehicle, Deputy Richter claimed that he discovered a hidden compartment that contained multiple firearms including a 223 rifle, 223 ammunition, a 22 long-rifle, etc. Mr. Reynolds allegedly told Deputy Richter that these firearms had not been in the hidden compartment for long. In addition to the firearms, Deputy Richter discovered a digital scale with heroin residues on its surface.
Robert Reynolds was taken into custody on Dec. 29, 2019.
On Dec. 30, 2019, Deputy Richter searched Mr. Reynolds’s DMV registered address in West Sacramento, which is his mother’s residence. Mr. Reynolds’s mother allegedly told Deputy Richter that her son had been storing several boxes at her house for 2–3 months. At this residence, Deputy Richter discovered additional firearms, a digital scale with heroin residue, and 807 grams of heroin.
The 807 grams of heroin was estimated by Deputy Richter to have a market price of roughly $24,000 when sold in bulk and would have cost more if sold in separate quantities. Based on the packaging of the heroin, Deputy Richter stated that he assumed that they were possessed for sale because the same packaging was generally used for transporting heroin for sale.
The defense, represented by Deputy Public Defender Jose Gonzalez-Vasquez, requested that the court only charge Mr. Reynolds once for his possession of controlled substances (heroin) for sale that was found both in his vehicle and his residence, since Mr. Reynolds was already in custody on the day prior to the search of his residence.
The court denied Mr. Gonzalez’s request and stated that the court had found sufficient evidence for Mr. Reynolds’s possession of controlled substances for sale on both occasions.
The arraignment date is March 5, 2020.
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