Modesto men arrested in Tuolumne County after meth found during CHP traffic stop

Two Modesto men were arrested Wednesday after they were found with a “large quantity” of methamphetamine during a traffic stop in Tuolumne County, the California Highway Patrol reported.

Craig Erik Simonson, 35, and James Mitchell-Best, 30, were arrested on possession of drugs for sale charges and later booked at the Tuolumne County Jail. The men were in a vehicle early Wednesday, when the CHP pulled them over on Highway 49 at Fifth Avenue.

About 4:30 a.m., Simonson was spotted speeding as he drove through Jamestown leaving one casino and heading to another, the CHP announced in a news release.

Simonson told officers he could not find his driver license and identified himself using another name and date of birth, according to the CHP. The officers spotted drug paraphernalia — a glass smoking pipe — sticking out of Simonson’s pants pocket.

The officers searched the vehicle and found more drug paraphernalia, along with meth packaged for sales, bank cards, identification cards, driver licenses and multiple electronic devices, the CHP said. Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Department officials also responded to the traffic stop and helped search the vehicle.

Inside the vehicle’s trunk, the officers found a backpack that contained numerous personal items belonging to Mitchell-Best. The CHP said that the large quantity of meth also was found in the backpack. The CHP did not indicate in the news release how much meth was found.

About 11:50 p.m., jail officials told the CHP that Simonson, who had been using a false name, was identified by his fingerprints and previous booking photographs. The CHP returned to the jail and charged Simonson with false impersonation.

This story was originally published February 15, 2019 at 10:29 AM.