(Central Nebraska Today)
LEXINGTON — An Oregon couple were arrested after a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Dawson County after methamphetamine was found in the vehicle.
Michael Marsh, 56, of Eugene, Ore., has been charged with possession of methamphetamine, 28-139 grams with a firearm, a Class 1B felony; possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, Class 1B felony; possession of a firearm while committing a felony, a Class 2 felony, possession of drug money, a Class 4 felony and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, infraction.
Kristian Morris, 45, of Eugene, Ore., is charged with possession of methamphetamine, 28-139 grams with a firearm, a Class 1B felony, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, a Class 2 felony, possession of drug money, a Class 4 felony and possession or use of drug paraphernalia, infraction.
Marsh and Morris were both arraigned in Dawson County Court on Dec. 15 and their bail was set at 10 percent of $500,000. Their preliminary hearing date has been set for Jan. 7, 2026, at 11 a.m.
According to an affidavit submitted in court records, on Dec. 12 a trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol stopped a Ford sedan for speeding 88 mph on I-80 and failing to maintain lane.
Upon stopping the vehicle, it was determined that Marsh was the driver and Morris was the passenger. The trooper took notice of multiple knives in the vehicle and noted Morris had several abrasions and bruises on her face; she also exhibited nervous behavior and did not remember major events of the trip.
Marsh told the trooper they were traveling from Oregon to Omaha in order to meet with Morris’s children.
The trooper ran the couple’s information through the Interstate Identification Index and found Marsh was a felon.
After the traffic stop, the trooper asked to search the vehicle, which was consented to, except for a lockbox, which Marsh said contained money and high value items.
During the search, the trooper found around $3,000 in separate sacks of a zipped bank bag inside of a black backpack. There were also multiple 9mm magazines and multiple casings of bullets.
On the passenger’s side floorboard there were multiple glass smoking pipes with burnt residue, and a white powdery substance were located, along with a medical syringe. A mobile drug test confirmed the presence of methamphetamine.
The full search of the vehicle found 46 grams of methamphetamine, multiple ammunition boxes, multiple glass smoking pipes, over $6,000 in cash, a stolen firearm, confirmed by the Phoenix Police Department and other forms of drug paraphernalia.
Both Marsh and Morris would be arrested and booked into the Dawson County Jail.
