A Grantsville man facing felony drug charges after he was arrested during a traffic stop on New Year’s Day in Tooele City made his first appearance in 3rd District Court on Tuesday.
William Camacho Johnson, 40, is charged with three counts of third-degree felony possession of a controlled substance, as well as misdemeanor counts of false personal information with intent to be another person, interference with an arresting officer and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Tooele City police stopped the car in which Johnson was a passenger due to a traffic violation, according to a probable cause statement. The driver and another occupant were arrested on warrants, but Johnson gave his name as James Camacho and an incorrect date of birth.
Based upon the false evidence, Johnson was allowed to leave the scene but an on-duty patrol sergeant recognized him, the statement said. After it was found there were two warrants for his arrest, Johnson was located a short distance later inside an LDS church where people were attending services and he was taken into custody.
While Johnson initially complied with the arrest, he repeatedly tried to escape custody when officers were putting him into handcuffs, according to the statement. A second officer had to assist with the arrest, with Johnson pinned against the wall.
When officers searched Johnson, they found a digital scale tucked inside the leg of a pair of thermal underwear, the statement said. They also found a small plastic bag containing a light brown powdery substance, identified by police as heroin, and two pills of oxymorphone on Johnson’s person.
After transporting Johnson to the Tooele County Detention Center, the arresting officer noticed a plastic baggy containing a white crystalline substance, according to the probable cause statement. Johnson claimed the baggy must have come out of his shoe.
When corrections officers searched Johnson, they found an empty syringe in his thermal underwear and found a substance that appeared to be black tar heroin in his mouth, the statement said. A full body cavity search of Johnson found three tightly wrapped packages, which were also determined by police to be heroin.
Johnson is scheduled to appear in 3rd District Court again for a roll call hearing on Jan. 24 at 9 a.m. before Judge Robert Adkins.