Nov 8, 2017 2 min read

A Monessen couple were arrested last month in Wyoming for allegedly having 190 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle.

Joseph and Kristin Maione were jailed Oct. 5, after a Wyoming state trooper pulled them over on Interstate 80, near Rawlins. Trooper Joshua Carris said he stopped the vehicle for following too closely on the interstate at 7:18 a.m.

“I saw a large amount of duffle bags in the car,” he said in an interview Tuesday. “There was reasonable suspicion that there was criminal activity involved.”

Carris said his K9 parner alerted to the vehicle, which gave him probable cause to search the car. In it, they found about 190 pounds of suspected “high-grade” marijuana that was packaged for sale. Carris said “high-grade” typically means that it has an above-average potency.

“That’s a lot of marijuana,” Carris said. “There’s a lot that comes through the state of Wyoming because people drive through here to pick it up from California and take it back to sell in their state.”

The Maiones, who own Libby’s Dairy Bar on Rostraver Street, were each charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance – all felonies. They were arraigned in a district court in Rawlins Monday.

Joseph Maione is still being held at the Carbon County Detention Center on a $75,000 bond. Kristin Maione posted a $50,000 bond, was released from jail and allowed to leave the state of Wyoming.

Libby’s Dairy, at 1401 Rostraver St., is still open. An employee Tuesday evening said he knew nothing about when the owners would be back in town.