Man Finds 119 Pounds Of Marijuana In Car He Purchased

chadtm80 · #1 Postby **chadtm80** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:24 am

Man Finds 119 Pounds Of Marijuana In Car He Purchased

POSTED: 10:34 a.m. EDT June 4, 2003

PASADENA, Calif. -- A car purchased at a U.S. marshal's auction four years ago had a hidden surprise for its new owner: 119 pounds of marijuana hidden in the bumpers.

The buyer, Jose Aguado Cervantes, didn't know about the hidden stash until he was stopped at the U.S.-Mexican border three months later and arrested.

Government officials eventually dropped the charges, but not before Cervantes, 67, spent three months in jail awaiting trial.

Cervantes is seeking damages for the government's error, alleging negligence, false imprisonment and false arrest.

While an appeals court in Pasadena said Monday that he cannot recover damages for false arrest and imprisonment, his negligence claim against the federal government "is an entirely different matter."

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said the government's argument against Cervantes' negligence claim is "patently without merit" and "so off-the-mark as to be embarrassing."

"Cervantes remained similarly unaware of the contraband until its discovery by U.S. customs agents as he tried to cross the U.S. border on Oct. 22, 1999," the appeals court said. "Although Cervantes denied knowledge of the marijuana and informed agents that he had purchased the vehicle at a U.S. marshal's auction, he was arrested and incarcerated."

mf_dolphin · #2 Postby **mf_dolphin** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:32 am

Talk about your bad breaks! It doesn't say a lot for the U.S.Marshall's service on this one.

TexasStooge · #3 Postby **TexasStooge** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:56 am

DANG!!!! 119 pounds???

weatherlover427 · #4 Postby **weatherlover427** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:03 am

Goodness! Talk about a lot of marijuana! :o

mf_dolphin · #5 Postby **mf_dolphin** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:22 am

I bet it was just extra crash protection! LOL

isobar · #6 Postby **isobar** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:23 am

I think he's just bummed, because he didn't find it FIRST!! :wink:

mf_dolphin · #7 Postby **mf_dolphin** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:28 am

Can you imagine what would have happened if he had been in a wreck and the car caught in fire? I can see the headlines now..."Firefighters stoned at wreck site! " LOL

southerngale · #8 Postby **southerngale** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:48 am

OMG! :o

I guess they need to come out with new guidelines for car shopping and add:
Dismantle car to look for hidden drugs.

Pro-Storm · #9 Postby **Pro-Storm** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 6:00 pm

He could've made it all up too............. :Fade-color :Fade-color :Fade-color

PTrackerLA · #10 Postby **PTrackerLA** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:19 pm

If he didn't make it up, imagine spending 3 months in jail for something ridiculous like that! I would sue the hell out of someone!

Lindaloo · #11 Postby **Lindaloo** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 6:49 am

It was obvious the vehicle was confiscated by US Marshal's for similar reasons. 119 pounds of weed is alot of stash to miss during a drug bust. Sounds to me like this guy purchased the vehicle to transport the stuff and had a legit excuse to get out of the charges if caught. Seems it worked didn't it?

j · #12 Postby j » Thu Jun 05, 2003 8:01 am

VERY INTERESTING....I'll bet you anything there is 118 pounds in the vault now.

ColdFront77 · #13 Postby **ColdFront77** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 2:41 pm

That wasn't fair, it wasn't the fault of the owner(s) of the new car.

Man Finds 119 Pounds Of Marijuana In Car He Purchased

Man Finds 119 Pounds Of Marijuana In Car He Purchased

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