LITTLE ROCK — Two Baxter County residents were using FedEx to receive shipments of marijuana from California, authorities said Friday.
Justin J. Bowden, 27, and Idalia Chavez, 23, were each charged with felony delivery and possession of marijuana as well as felony possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a statement from the Baxter County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities in Arkansas began investigating after receiving information from police in California that drug parcels were being shipped to an address outside Mountain Home.
A police K-9 on Thursday determined that one such package did contain drugs. An undercover police officer posing as a delivery driver then took it to its labeled destination, 1367 West Road, and delivered it to Bowden and Chavez, the statement said.
Deputies responded immediately after the package was delivered, recovering the package and determining it contained nearly 10 ounces of marijuana, police said. Investigators reportedly also seized various drug paraphernalia.
"There was evidence that approximately fourteen packages had been delivered to this address from California, and there was also evidence of payments being sent from the suspects to California for the drugs," Baxter County Sheriff John F. Montgomery said in the statement.
On Friday, police seized another package from California to the same residence. That FedEx shipment contained about 27 ounces of marijuana, according to the statement.