A Montana man who allegedly had more than half a pound of marijuana in his car during a traffic stop in Bellevue was charged with felony drug possession, according to a criminal complaint filed in Fifth District Court on Nov. 23.
John Edison Kelly Jr., 21, was arraigned on one count of felony possession of more than 3 ounces of marijuana in Hailey on Nov. 23. He also entered a plea of not guilty to misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia that same day.
According to a police report filed by Bellevue Marshal Cpl. Michael Shelamer, Shelamer was running stationary radar at the intersection of Main Street and Broadford Road on Nov. 23 at about 3:15 a.m. when he saw a Ford F-150, allegedly driven by Kelly, in the northbound lane going 40 mph in a posted 25 mph zone. Shelamer wrote that he made a U-turn and stopped the car near the intersection of Main and Spruce streets.
According to the report, Kelly was reaching into an orange backpack to retrieve vehicle title information when Shelamer noticed a “clear sandwich size bag” with “a green leafy substance inside of it.”
“I informed him I saw the marijuana and would be doing a search of the truck,” Shelamer stated.
Kelly allegedly informed the officer that he had a tote in the back with about two more ounces of marijuana, according to the report. Shelamer then began a vehicle search, allegedly recovering a “small silver round [marijuana] grinder,” another “clear sandwich size baggie with more leafy substance inside of it” and a “clear plastic tote with a grey lid … with ‘Whiskey Sour Sativa’ written on it.”
The total amount of marijuana seized was 9.1 ounces, or about 0.57 pounds, Shelamer reported—an amount with a street value greater than $2,200 in Idaho, according to third-party reports.
Kelly was released on $1,500 bond and is due in court for a preliminary hearing the morning of Feb. 14, at which point prosecutor Matthew Fredback will cross-examine witnesses and present evidence arguing that the case should proceed as a felony. 
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