Police: Wynnewood Man Busted in Iowa with 61 Lbs. of Pot

A Wynnewood man was arrested Jan. 13 in southwest Iowa after being stopped for speeding along Interstate 80, according to The Daily Nonpareil, a Council Bluffs, Iowa newspaper.

“Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Deputy Brian Miller found 61 pounds of marijuana and two pounds of hashish in the vehicle driven by Joshua Ampolsk, 25,” Sheriff Jeff Danker told the newspaper. 

Ampolsk, driving a 2010 Nissan Altima, was pulled over for speeding at around 1 p.m. The article said that “indications” and actions from Ampolsk led Miller to believe “drugs or illegal substances” might have been present.

“Ampolsk refused to consent to a search, so Miller allowed his narcotics canine to do an open-air sniff around the Altima,” reporter Mike Brownlee wrote.

“The canine indicated drugs were in the vehicle. Sgt. Bob Christensen with the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Task Force said the high-grade marijuana is worth about $3,000 to $4,000.”

(The canine “partner” was “Francisco,” according to KNOD Radio, which also reported on the bust, saying the dog's reaction provided the necessary probable cause to conduct the search.)

Ampolsk, who is reported free on a $5,000 jail bond, faces charges that include possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, tax stamp violations and speeding.