Bellingham man reportedly found carrying heroin and methamphetamine during DUI stop
A traffic stop by Bellingham police to investigate a possible DUI revealed that a passenger in the car was carrying more than 50 grams of heroin, in addition to methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, a loaded, stolen gun, a stolen debit card and counterfeit cash.
Christopher Allen Watson, 45, was booked into Whatcom County Jail on Monday, July 6, on suspicion of multiple charges, including possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property and forgery. Jail records show Watson is being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Bellingham police took Watson into custody at approximately 3 p.m. Monday, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email, after he was seen leaving as a passenger in a car from the Puget neighborhood apartment of Nathan Wayne Jerls. Also on Monday, Jerls was arrested after an 11-month investigation by the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force revealed he allegedly was selling heroin and illegal firearms out of a house.
Watson’s arrest stemmed from a suspected DUI traffic stop on June 19, after police saw a car he was a passenger in exit northbound Interstate 5 at Northwest Avenue, make an illegal left-hand turn, drive at a high rate of speed and cross over the center line, Murphy reported.
Watson was seated in the front passenger seat of the car and was recognized from previous interaction with police, Murphy wrote.
A Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was called to search the car and alerted to the presumed odor of narcotics, according to Murphy, prompting officers to seize the car and its contents until a search warrant could be obtained.
After getting the warrant, Murphy reported, officers found a backpack Watson was clutching at the time of the stop contained:
▪ Approximately 26.07 grams of heroin.
▪ Appropriately 8.12 grams of methamphetamine.
▪ Approximately 5.86 grams of powder heroin.
▪ A rubber container with heroin with a total weight of 18.7 grams.
▪ Shears and a scale with heroin residue and a number of baggies commonly used to repackage and re-sell heroin.
▪ Eighteen pills that Watson did not have a prescription for.
▪ Nine counterfeit $20 bills.
Police also found a blue and silver SCCY CPX-1 9-millimeter pistol under the seat Watson was seated in, according to Murphy, as well as a stolen Target debit card and two more counterfeit $20 bills in the car’s console. The gun was loaded and had been reported stolen to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show Watson is scheduled for a Sept. 28 jury trial for a 2019 charge of possession of a controlled substance and has multiple previous convictions in Whatcom County for theft, financial fraud, assault, escape, possession of a controlled substance and a community custody violation since 2007.
