Hawarden, Iowa — A Hawarden man faces a felony drug charge after he allegedly attempted to receive marijuana through the mail.
The Hawarden Police Department tells us that on Friday, December 4th, their officers intercepted a package through the U.S. Mail that possibly contained illegal narcotics. They say there was a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the box.
Hawarden officers tell us that they obtained a federal search warrant through the US Postal Service and five pounds of marijuana was found inside the package.
That’s when officers got to work to try to nab the intended recipient.
They tell us that on Wednesday, December 9th, a fake package was delivered to the address that was listed on the original package. The package was placed on the porch of the residence and was under constant surveillance. At 1:00 p.m., officers allege that 35-year-old Rolando Ramirez-Martinez arrived and took possession of the package. They say he also admitted to ordering the package and admitted to the fact that it contained marijuana.
Ramirez-Martinez was charged with conspiracy to distribute marijuana, a class D felony, according to Hawarden Police. He was taken to jail, but according to jail records, he posted ten percent of his $5000 bond and was released.
