Drug bust by Bettendorf police nets four pounds of marijuana, firearms and $22,000 cash

Bettendorf Police Chief Keith Kimball said that at 9 a.m. Thursday, officers served three search warrants, one at the Davenport home of Ryan Logan Johnson, 20, and one at the Davenport home of Payton Joseph Kirkpatrick, 20, as well as a storage unit belonging to Kirkpatrick.

Johnson was detained at his Iowa Street home after he arrived in a rental car, Kimball said. Kirkpatrick was driving by Johnson’s home as officers were serving the search warrant. Kirkpatrick was detained in a traffic stop.

During a search of Johnson’s residence, officers seized 2 pounds of marijuana and $12,000 in cash, according to the arrest affidavits filed by Bettendorf Police Sgt. Joshua Paul.

During a search of Kirkpatrick’s home on Brown Street officers seized $10,000 in cash and several firearms, Kimball said.

From Kirkpatrick’s storage unit on Louis Rich Court in Davenport, officer seized about 2 pounds of marijuana and 300 THC cartridges, according to the affidavits.

During a post-Miranda interview, Kirkpatrick denied the marijuana or THC cartridges were his but also stated no one else has access to his storage unit that he uses for his mechanics business, according to the affidavits.

Both men were booked into the Scott County Jail.

Kirkpatrick is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and two counts of violating Iowa’s drug tax stamp law. Johnson is charged with one count each of possession with the intent to deliver marijuana and violating Iowa’s drug tax stamp law.

Each charge is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years.

Police can request for forfeiture of the cash if it can be proven it was made through criminal means of selling marijuana.

Johnson was released from the Scott County Jail on Thursday after posting a $10,000 bond through a bonding company. During a first appearance on the charges in Scott County District Court on Friday, Johnson waived his preliminary hearing, and Magistrate Jay Sommers scheduled arraignment for March 6 in District Court.

Kirkpatrick was released from the Scott County Jail on Thursday after posting a $20,000 bond through a bonding company. He is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charges Monday in District Court when a judge will schedule a preliminary hearing or arraignment if Kirkpatrick chooses to waive his preliminary hearing.