A fairly routine traffic stop Sunday ended with the discovery of eight grams of crack cocaine hidden inside the uncooperative defendant.
Amir Raheem McKeever, 19, of St. Paul, was arrested and charged with felony second-degree drug possession of 6 or more grams of cocaine, gross misdemeanor obstruction of legal process and introducing contraband into the jail, as well as misdemeanor charges of driving after suspension and possession of more than 1.4 grams of marijuana in a motor vehicle.
According to the complaint:
Minnesota State Patrol Trooper David Vereecken was on routine patrol on Interstate 35 at 5:45 p.m. April 22 when he observed a familiar vehicle going 75 mph in a 70 mph zone near Moose Lake. When he stopped the vehicle, he recognized the driver, Amir Raheem McKeever, 19, of St. Paul from a previous stop when the St. Paul man was driving after suspension. His license was still suspended, so the trooper arrested him and made arrangements to have the vehicle towed and McKeever transported to the law enforcement center.
While Vereecken did discover a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle when he searched it prior to towing, it wasn't until the booking process that law enforcement officials found "a baggie of crack cocaine in his rectum that he would not voluntarily remove," the complaint states. Ultimately, McKeever was subdued and the baggie retrieved. The contents tested positive for crack cocaine and were sent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for official weight and analysis.
ADVERTISEMENT
McKeever had a bail hearing (set at $3,000) and was granted a public defender in Sixth District Carlton County Court Tuesday, April 24. His next court appearance is set for 9 a.m. Monday.
According to public record, McKeever has three felony charges on his record as a juvenile, for fourth-degree burglary and fifth-degree assault as well as theft.
