Police Uncover 31 lbs. of Pot
***UPDATE 5:54 P.M.***Cops say the pair was on their way across the country to New York in their two-seat plane when they made a stop in Fulton. They stopped in Fulton to refuel their plane. They were trying to go all the way undetected. Police say the two refused to talk with the FAA and did not turn the plane’s radio on.A little after midnight a small Cessna plane landed at the airport in Fulton. The FAA had been trying to get in contact with the plane for some time, but knew they had to act fast while on the two were on the ground. They alerted the police. Once police got to the scene they spotted and talked with the two and even got consent to search the plane.”Located two large duffle bags containing what we believed to be marijuana,” Fulton police Lt. Andre Cook explains. “There was a real strong odor of marijuana as well as the packages we found.”In all, police found almost 20 bags of different strains of high quality marijuana. Police believe the plane came from the state of California. Authorities say the two did make a statement to them, but they wouldn’t go into any detail about what they said. But police say they aren’t the only ones involved in the investigation.”There are federal investigators involved in this as well and the investigation is on-going and we’ll make a determination whether the federal authorities will pursue prosecution or it will remain in the state court,” Cook says.The two have not been charged yet. We tried called the Callaway County prosecutor to see when that might be happening, but he was not available for a comment. Hansen and Beatty-Martinez were being held in the Callaway county jail on $50,000 bond. Beatty-Martinez remains in jail, but Hansen posted bond Friday morning.***ORIGINAL STORY***Police in Fulton make a major drug bust uncovering 31 pounds of marijuana.Police were called to the Fulton Airport just after midnight Friday because a plane had landed and was not responding to the FAA.Officers made contact with the pilot and passenger. Police say after a brief investigation, the passenger admitted to having marijuana, a consent search was done and that’s when they found approximately 31 pounds of high-grade marijuana in two duffel bags.The drugs and Cessna 172 aircraft were seized. The drugs have a street value of $450,000.The pilot Russell Hansen of Wynantskill, NY and the passenger Jacob Beatty-Martinez of Bakersfield, CA were arrested.Formal charges are pending, their bond is $50,000 each.The investigation continues.
