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ST. GEORGE — Nearly half a million dollars of suspected fentanyl pills were seized during a late-night traffic stop on northbound Interstate 15 Thursday, thanks to a K-9 and an alert officer.

A Washington County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a silver Jeep shortly after midnight on northbound Interstate 15 near mile marker 23, just north of the Main Street exit in Leeds, for an alleged window tint violation, according to charging documents filed with the courts.

While speaking to the driver, Kyle Kenneth Smith, 31, of Indianapolis, Indiana, officers learned the vehicle was a rental and the suspect told officers he had the rental agreement saved on his cell phone.

A K-9 team was dispatched and alerted authorities to the possible presence of narcotics near the rear driver’s side quarter panel of the vehicle.

Following the animal’s alert, the driver and his front-seat passenger, Solomon Isaim Allen, 33, of Chino Hills, California, were told to exit the Jeep and both were detained while a search of the Jeep ensued.

During the search, officers noticed that the plastic molding near the rear lift gate appeared to have been “tampered with – as if it had been recently removed,” the officer noted in the report.

The entire panel fell as soon as the officer pushed a finger into the gap of the molding, which reportedly exposed six large vacuum-sealed bags containing light blue pills consistent with fentanyl and packaged in smaller vacuum-sealed bags.

Officers seized approximately 30,000 pills with a combined weight of more than 7.5 pounds.

Based on the number of suspected fentanyl pills, and the way in which they were packaged, officers believe the amount of suspected narcotics was “far beyond what a personal use amount would be” and was consistent with illegal distribution.

According to the DEA, the amount of fentanyl seized, if broken down into street-level sales, had an estimated value of more than $487,500. Moreover, the combined weight of the seizure totaled more than 3 kilograms of suspected fentanyl pills, which the DEA states is enough to kill nearly 1.8 million people.

A message on the Washington County Sherriff’s Office Facebook page stated that “Cyrus”, the K-9 that alerted officers to the scent of possible narcotics, was at it again during the traffic stop, and thanks to the animal’s efforts, the recovery of illegal narcotics “was an amazing find.”

Following the stop on I-15, officers spoke to the driver who told officers he did not use any drugs, adding he “does not even smoke weed,” the officer wrote. He then declined to answer any other questions at the scene.

The passenger, Allen, declined to answer any questions and both were arrested and transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility facing second-degree felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.

District Judge Keith C. Barnes signed a no-bail hold for each of the suspects and both remain in custody without bail.

This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ST. GEORGE —Conflicting accounts and the lack of state-issued identification reportedly led to the recovery of more than 50 pounds of meth over the weekend.

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped a vehicle heading north on Interstate 15 near mile marker 23 in Leeds on a window tint violation, according to charging documents filed with the court.

The trooper found two occupants in the vehicle: 37-year-old Jose Jimenez-Ortiz, of Brookfield, Illinois, and passenger, Carlos Galvez Martinez, a Honduran national.

While speaking to the pair, the trooper reportedly observed several indicators that led him to suspect there may be “clandestine activity” taking place, such as neither being able to provide identification issued in the United States.

Authorities say suspicions were further raised when the two men gave conflicting accounts in relation to travel plans.

After obtaining verbal consent from Ortiz, who was also the registered owner of the car, troopers conducted a search of the vehicle, the report states.

Inside the trunk, troopers say they found cardboard boxes containing a number of plastic bags of a white crystal-like substance consistent with methamphetamine and packaged in a way “clearly consistent with narcotic smuggling and distribution,” the trooper wrote in the report.

According to the report, the packages had a combined weight of roughly 50 pounds. If broken down into street-level sales, the amount of suspected meth seized has a street value of as much as $1.1 million, according to a U.S. Department of Justice report.

During a search of Jimenez prior to transport, troopers reportedly recovered a small amount of suspected marijuana, and more of the substance also was recovered from inside the car.

Both men were arrested, transported to Purgatory Correctional Facility and booked into jail. They each face multiple charges, including a second-degree felony for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, along with misdemeanor possession of marijuana and paraphernalia.

Martinez faces an additional misdemeanor for possession of a controlled substance.

The trooper also requested that the two men be held without bail, citing that both were traveling through Utah from out of state without any U.S. identification and provided little address information when prompted by officers.

The request was approved and a no-bail hold was placed on the men. And they both remain in custody at the time of this report.

This report is based on statements from court documents and law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

LEEDS — With a vision to bring joy to others, Ben “Coach” Lott converted his Leeds property into a homemade theme park and campground. Now, 16 years later, it’s at risk of being sold and shut down.

Lott Ranch, located at 411 Buckeye Reef Road in Leeds, has zip lines, a climbing wall, a museum, a wooden castle, an archery range and treehouses. Lott, a retired man in his late 70s who lives on the property, has never asked visitors to pay an admission price for the park, and other than a few donations left by a few visitors, nearly everything has been funded by Lott’s savings account.

“Over the years, I’ve used all my savings to put into the place,” he said. “If I keep going at the rate I’m going, I won’t be able to keep myself going for more than a couple of years from now.”

A GoFundMe campaign was started for Lott by some of his close friends in St. George to help him cover some of the expenses of running the camp. In six days, it’s raised nearly $3,000 out of a $315,000 goal.

Managing the GoFundMe campaign has since been passed on to Lott’s children, but the campaign organizers wrote on the campaign explanation about how they are “desperately trying” to help Lott out of his financial troubles, “as he would do the same, if not much more, for us.”

We have all been served by Ben’s kindness, charity, unconditional love for everyone, selflessness and generosity, among many other honorable attributes. He has served and given generously to everyone he knows without expectation of return or even thanks.

Building Lott Ranch

Before he retired, Lott said he worked an average of 96 hours a week as a swimming pool contractor. He was also athletic; Lott said he coached track at Pine View High School for over 20 years, and his daughter, Tiffany Lott-Hogan, competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics as a heptathlete.

Lott was injured in a T-bone car crash in 1989 and has suffered from chronic fatigue and other health issues throughout his life, he said. Despite his health, he wanted to turn his property in Leeds into a place that would bring smiles to his family and others who came to visit.

“I just wanted to do something that would bring joy to someone else, either to see or to do things with.”

The project started in 2002 with just a large sandbox before it exploded into the always-expanding homemade park that it is today. Platforms were nailed into the trees to serve as treehouses, and several buildings were erected on the property, including a museum full of historical items he found on the property, a convenience store to sell snacks and a climbing wall attached to a ropes course.

Lott also got creative when he built sit-in zip line rides and used an old diving board to build a slide. During the first few years, Lott Ranch mostly served as a place for local Boy Scout troops, but it has since grown into a place for families and all children.

“It’s been extremely rewarding because of the friends that I’ve met – to see the joy in their countenance as they come and watch the parents try to get their kids to leave after spending hours here.”

Since 2013, there have been 27 different Eagle Scout projects from local Boy Scouts to help restore attractions at the camp or build something new. Lott Ranch has served as a venue for scout camps, parties, weddings and family reunions. He said it takes several thousand dollars to maintain the property each month and there are two full-time employees who work there.

During a busy week in the summer, there are about 200-400 people who visit the camp each week. There have been visitors from all over the U.S. and even all over the world, Lott said. He keeps a flag for each of the 25 countries represented by visitors to Lott Ranch in the last several years.

Nearly every review online raves about his kindness and the camp’s charm, with one social media user calling Lott Ranch “such a delightful place for families (that) stems from Ben Lott’s generous and playful spirit.”

“I’ve kept a quite a bit of the ‘thank you’ notes visitors have left me or tacked on my door,” he said. “They all talk about coming here for the serenity, the love, the peace and the support that they feel here.”

Always serving others

Lott Ranch has served as a springboard for Lott to help community members in need. Although Lott couldn’t think of any examples of people taking advantage of his kindness, he did say it could have happened, but he hasn’t dwelt on any particular instance “even for a second on what other people have done after I’ve helped them.”

“He’s one of the nicest, most generous men I’ve ever met,” said Trisha Houser, one of the organizers of the GoFundMe campaign.

Throughout the years, Lott said he has hired workers out of Switchpoint Community Resource Center, a shelter for homeless people in St. George. Because the workers at Switchpoint didn’t have cars, Lott would make the nearly 30-minute drive each way to give them transportation to and from work. He said he hired people from Switchpoint because “those were the people that needed it most.”

Lott has allowed people to live on his property “for days or for a lot of days” when they didn’t have another place to live. There was one time Lott even gave a car to a family whose father was unemployed.

“That was a blessing for them because he was able to drive to find a job and get back to work,” Lott said.

Being an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and constantly being on the lookout for opportunities to help others are some of the reasons that drive Lott to serve others, he said.

“Always looking for ways to serve others is what the good Lord intended for us.”

Questions for the future

As Lott’s savings account has been drained from years of operating Lott Ranch and helping others without expecting to be repaid, the future of Lott Ranch is uncertain. Lott said his children, who mostly live in northern Utah now, are encouraging him to sell the property and enjoy the rest of his retirement.

“They are concerned about my health and me being alone, so they all want me to come up and stay with them.”

Lott is also concerned for his health, he said, because of how tired he has been during the last summer. However, he still wants to keep the camp going as long as he can. If he were to sell the property, Lott said he hopes whoever buys it will continue the legacy of the camp and maintain the park, but that isn’t a deal-breaker at this point.

If Lott Ranch were to close down and be sold, Houser said the community would miss it.

“He’s like a grandpa for my kids, so we always go out and visit, but I know a lot of people love it there. It’d be a big loss to the community and the state to have it shut down.”

The outpouring of support from members in the community who’ve donated to the GoFundMe campaign has surprised Lott, he said. All of the love and generosity from people to help him out has brought him to tears.

Lott has 21 real grandchildren, but he said he has about 5,000 adopted grandchildren who call him “grandpa Ben Lott” when they’ve visited Lott Ranch.

“I’m grateful for everyone that comes to enlighten my life through their smiles, their waves, their hugs and being adopted into their families,” he said. “It’s unreal, the love I’ve felt.”

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews | @SpencerRicks

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2018, all rights reserved.

Hiking Southern Utah: White Reef/Leeds Reef Loop Trail in Red Cliffs Desert Reserve

Trail: White Reef/Leeds Reef Loop Trail Location: Red Cliffs Desert Reserve near Harrisburg, about 10 miles northeast of St. George on Interstate 15 Difficulty: Easy on a well-marked trail with some up-and-down sections Average hiking time: About two hours Elevation: The trailhead is approximately 3,000 feet elevation with a 275 feet elevation gain from the trailhead to the highest point of the hike Family friendly: Yes, it is an easy hike

Getting there: The trailhead is about 10 miles from St. George. Driving north on Interstate 15, take Exit 16 onto State Route 9 toward Hurricane. At the first traffic light, turn left (north) and proceed northeast on Old Highway 91 for four miles. Around four miles, you’ll see a brown sign on the right reading Red Cliffs National Conservation Area/Red Cliffs Recreation Area and arrows pointing to the left. Within a hundred yards or so, take a left turn (northwest) through two narrow freeway tunnels under Interstate 15. Once through the tunnels, turn right at the “T” intersection and park in the large White Reef trailhead parking area delineated by a pole fence about 50 yards from the intersection.

Or, going north on Interstate 15, take Exit 22 to the town of Leeds. At the end of the off ramp, make a sharp right (south) on Old Highway 91. Travel approximately two miles and turn right (northwest) just past the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area/Red Cliffs Recreation Area sign and proceed through a narrow tunnel under Interstate 15. Then follow the directions above.

In the Harrisburg/Leeds area are at least five lengthy ridges called reefs: Red Reef, White Reef, Silver Reef, Buckeye Reef, and Leeds Reef. Oddly enough, White Reef likely got its name from the white sandstone sitting atop most of the ridge.

Most people think of reefs as bars of rock, sand, coral, or similar material lying beneath or just above the surface of a body of water. When geological formations were being named in southwest Utah, someone went wild applying the moniker “reef” to every ridge they saw. Reefs not near water are simply ridges resulting from tectonic (faults and earthquakes) and volcanic uplift and erosion. They may be colorful depending upon the composition of original sediments that were deposited and subsequently uplifted.

The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve was established in 1996 to protect a large and diverse habitat capable of sustaining wildlife populations threatened by development and habitat loss. It comprises 62,000 acres and has more than 130 miles of shared use trails for hiking, horseback riding, and mountain biking. Three ecosystems — the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin Desert, and the Colorado Plateau —merge in southwestern Utah, and the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve reflects the biological diversity of this unique region.

Park at the trailhead and pay the $5 entrance fee. The parking area is large and has a pit toilet. This loop trail, and several other trails in the area, serves hikers, equestrians, and bikers. The trailhead elevation is approximately 3,000 feet with about a 275-foot elevation change from trailhead to highest point.

A stepover at the southwest corner of the parking area provides access to several trails. The beginning section of the loop hike, White Reef Trail, first tracks north and soon turns right and proceeds northeast.

It is easy going as the trail is mostly a two-track dirt road winding through a draw between the two reefs. Although close to Interstate 15, White Reef Trail is quiet since it’s in a low area. Soon, you’ll come across an old rock wall running across the draw — evidence that this area was once utilized by pioneers.

The first section of White Reef Trail features good views to the northwest of White Reef in the foreground, red cliffs behind White Reef, and the Pine Valley Mountains in the background.

About 1.7 miles in, you’ll come to the end of White Reef Trail. To continue the loop, proceed to the right (south) along the quarter-mile Adit Trail that connects to Leeds Reef Trail — the return path.

Leeds Reef Trail runs along the top of the reef/ridge for about a mile. Since we were atop the ridge, traffic noise from Interstate 15 is slightly noticeable. Because the trails parallel each other and Leeds Reef is higher elevation than White Reef Trail, you’ll be afforded the same views, only a bit more panoramic.

After approximately one mile on Leeds Reef, the trail drops into a draw as it approaches the White Reef Trail junction. At 1.4 miles on Leeds Reef Trail, you’ll reach the intersection with White Reef Trail, turn left (south), and return to the trailhead.

I recommend this adventure — a natural setting with fantastic views about 10 miles from St. George.

Hiking Southern Utah: Third Ravine

The Third Ravine is an under-appreciated gem. Located on the plateau bordering western St. George, the trail is a wonderful example of the diverse terrain of Washington County.

LEEDS – The Leeds mayor presented a letter of resignation to the Town of Leeds during a town hall meeting Wednesday night.

A town official confirmed Town of Leeds Mayor Alan Roberts read a letter of resignation during a public town hall meeting and that it will go into effect by mid-February.

Official documentation including Roberts’ letter of resignation may be made available to the public early next week.

Roberts’ resignation follows the Jan. 2 resignation of commissioners Jared Westhoff and Ray Beal from the Town of Leeds Planning Commission.

Over the last year some Leeds residents have been critical of Roberts and other town officials due to perceived conflicts of interest involving the controversial Grapevine Wash development.

According to the Get Involved Leeds website, calls for Westhoff’s resignation started in May 2012 after questioning the validity of a report presented by anti-Grapevine Wash advocate Karla Stirling.

Roberts was unavailable for comment as this report is published.

Editor’s Note: Roberts replied to St. George News by email on Jan. 11 with clarification and objection to this report. His response is addressed by St. George News on Jan. 12: Leeds mayor clarifies reasons for resignation.

Related posts

Leeds meeting considers highway interchange and town growth, April 19, 2012

Battle of public opinion continues over development near Leeds, June 5, 2012

Leeds town council temporarily tables controversial development, October 26, 2012

Leeds town council votes down Grapevine Wash development, November 15, 2012

Final vote on Leeds Grapevine Wash development stalled as public calls for review, December 13, 2012

Attorney: Grapevine Wash Developer will sue Leeds for relief, December 19, 2012

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @MoriKessler

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.