California Man Arrested; 38 Pounds of Marijuana Seized

California Man Arrested; 38 Pounds of Marijuana Seized

ROCK SPRINGS — Sheriff’s deputies seized 38 pounds of marijuana and arrested a California man after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 late Wednesday morning.

Sweetwater County Sheriff Mike Lowell said Brandon C. Lewin, 32, of Vacaville, California, is facing two counts of felony drug charges. After a Sheriff’s Office K9 team stopped Lewin on I-80 east of Rock Springs for a traffic violation, the marijuana was found during a search of his vehicle, a Toyota Camry.

Lewin remains in custody at the Sweetwater County Detention Center pending an initial appearance in Circuit Court scheduled for Friday. Wednesday’s search and Lewin’s arrest brings the total of marijuana seized by Sheriff’s Office canine units since late October to about 688 pounds, with an estimated street value of nearly $3.5 million.

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Lowell said that threats made against law enforcement dog handlers and their canine partners in different parts of the country have led to a Sheriff’s Office policy of not publicizing the names K9 team members involved in drug cases.