YORK COUNTY, Nebraska — An elderly California couple’s cross-country trip to deliver Christmas presents to their family was cut short by a traffic stop in Nebraska, where deputies discovered the gifts they intended to deliver was more than 60 pounds of marijuana.
Patrick Jiron, 83, and his wife, Barbara Jiron, 80, both of Clearlake Oaks, California, were charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp. They told police they were traveling from California and intended to make stops in Boston, Mass. and Vermont to distribute the holiday cheer to family and friends.
York County, Nebraska sheriff’s deputies stopped the couple on Tuesday after observing the Jirons’ vehicle, a 2016 Toyota Tacoma, failing to signal a turn and driving left of the center lane, according to a police report. During the stop, police say, they noticed the odor of raw marijuana coming from the vehicle.
Patrick Jiron allegedly admitted to having contraband in the vehicle and consented to a search.
In addition to the 60 pounds of marijuana — with an estimated street value of over $300,000, according to police — officers also discovered multiple containers of concentrated THC, police say.
