COZAD, NEBRASKA — A Virginia truck driver was arrested September 4 after Nebraska State Patrol troopers pulled him over for speeding and driving on the shoulder in a construction zone on Interstate 80 near Cozad — and the smell of marijuana coming from the cab led to the discovery of 27 pallets loaded with one-pound vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana throughout the trailer.
William Daniel Gomez, 44, of Virginia, was stopped on eastbound I-80 between mile markers 218 and 228 after troopers observed him driving on the shoulder multiple times through a construction zone and traveling 69 mph in a 65 mph work zone. During the stop a trooper detected the odor of marijuana from the cab and observed a package associated with a California marijuana dispensary. Gomez handed over the package, which contained one gram of marijuana. A probable cause search of the trailer followed.
Investigators found marijuana distributed across all 27 pallets, with each pallet containing between 12 and 18 boxes and each box holding 20 one-pound sealed packages. A final inventory and total weight had not been completed as of early Wednesday afternoon.
Gomez was booked into the Dawson County Jail and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of more than one pound of marijuana, and possession of a controlled substance without a drug tax stamp. His bond was set at $100,000 at ten percent. His preliminary hearing in Dawson County Court is scheduled for September 22.
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