A California man will serve 3.5 years in an Arizona prison after being found guilty of possessing and transporting 11.8 pounds of cocaine in Navajo County, discovered during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 in 2019.
On Sept. 17, Damian Oando Rowe, 47, of Fontana, Calif., was sentenced to 3.5 years in the Arizona Department of Corrections in Navajo County Superior Court for one count of possession of a narcotic drug for sale. The sentencing range for this crime, according to Arizona sentencing guidelines, is 3 to 12.5 years.
On Aug.11, 2019, an Arizona Department of Public Safety officer stopped a commercial truck traveling on Interstate 40 near Holbrook for a window tint violation as part of DPS’ Commercial Vehicle Enforcement program. Upon noting some indicators of potential drug use or transportation, the officer requested Rowe’s permission to search the vehicle. Rowe, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, refused the request. The officer enlisted the assistance of a K-9 officer, and upon conducting an exterior “sniff” of the truck, the dog alerted in a manner that indicated the probable presence of drugs.
The DPS officer then searched the interior of the vehicle and discovered four packages of cocaine in a backpack, totaling over 11.5 pounds, with a street value of nearly $500,000. Rowe was booked into Navajo County Jail and was later released on bail, after which he returned to California.
In August, Rowe returned to Arizona for trial, and a jury in Navajo County found him guilty of possession of a narcotic drug for sale and transportation of a narcotic drug for sale but he was sentenced only for the possession count.
“Interstate 40 is a high-intensity drug trafficking corridor. Our office is proud to work with DPS and other law enforcement agencies in the region to continue to intercept these loads of illegal drugs and thwart traffickers passing through our Navajo County communities,” said Navajo County Attorney Brad Carlyon.
