WHATELY — Three Vermonters were recently arrested on drug and firearms charges following a traffic stop initiated when a state trooper noticed a Honda sedan on Interstate 91 northbound without a license plate.
Rosalee Moodie, 33, and Moriah Benway, 26, both of Barre Vt., and Davin Durant, 21, of Springfield, Vt., were taken into custody and transported to the State Police Northampton barracks to await arraignment in Greenfield District Court. All three pleaded not guilty to possession of a Class A drug, possession of Class B drug, trafficking in heroin, trafficking in cocaine, conspiracy to violate drug law, possession of a firearm, possession of ammunition without an FID card and possession of a firearm in a felony.
Additionally, Moodie pleaded not guilty to possession of a Class B drug, unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, attaching wrong registration plates, and a number plate violation and Durant pleaded not guilty to possession of a Class E drug. Durant had two outstanding warrants for his arrest and Benway had one.
According to Massachusetts State Police, Trooper Edward Brunton saw a silver Honda traveling on Interstate 91 northbound in Whately at approximately 11:15 p.m. on Dec. 9, and conducted a traffic stop. He called for back-up because the vehicle took an unusually long amount of time to stop on the nearly empty roadway and was soon accompanied by Troopers Joshua Wingler and Devon Vanasse.
Brunton approached the Honda and noticed that there was a handwritten temporary Vermont registration number affixed to the rear window. According to State Police, Moodie was the driver. Through conversation, it was learned that her driver’s license was suspended.
While conversing with the two passengers of the vehicle, Brunton was able to see what appeared to be wax folds of heroin and the handle of a revolver in the immediate reach of the rear-seat passenger, according to police. The three troopers told the occupants to exit the vehicle and the two passengers were identified as Durant and Benway.
Troopers conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle and found the suspected revolver was a carbon dioxide-powered pellet pistol. However, troopers discovered about 200 grams of crack cocaine, 19 grams of heroin and an assortment of prescription medication on Durant’s person. Also, a Glock 27 .40 caliber handgun with eight rounds of ammunition was found in a backpack in the vehicle’s rear seat. According to police, none of the three occupants of the vehicle possessed a license to carry firearms.