A 45-year-old Bettendorf man is behind bars after police say he had a loaded gun and marijuana in a car where they found him sleeping in a motel parking lot.
Andrew Phillips faces felony charges of control of a firearm by a felon and having no drug tax stamp, and serious misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance – marijuana – first offense and person ineligible to carry dangerous weapons, court records say.
Shortly after 12:45 a.m. Tuesday, police saw Phillips sleeping in the front passenger seat of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala in the Ramada Inn parking lot at Spruce Hills Drive and Utica Ridge Road, according to arrest affidavits.
Before Phillips woke up, officers saw a marijuana blunt in plain view on the center console of the vehicle near the gear shifter. Dispatchers told officers Phillips had two active arrest warrants for contempt of court, affidavits say.
According to affidavits, when officers did a probable-cause search of the vehicle, they found:
- In the driver’s door: a marijuana pipe containing raw marijuana residue and 2.05 grams of loose marijuana.
- In the glove box: a Taurus revolver (.38) loaded with six rounds
- In a black backpack on the back right passenger seat: a marijuana pipe containing burnt residue on an exterior backpack pocket and 10 .38 Special rounds on an exterior backpack pocket
- In a green “Ralph’s fun bag” pouch inside of the backpack: 79.03 grams total package weight of raw marijuana and a digital scale.
After he was read his Miranda Rights, Phillips admitted the gun was his and acknowledged he had been convicted of a prior felony. He admitted the black backpack was his and specifically admitted the marijuana (79.03 grams total packaged weight) in the backpack was his. None of the marijuana was affixed with a drug tax stamp, affidavits say.
Phillips, who is being held on $5,000 cash-only bond in Scott County Jail, is set for a preliminary hearing Oct. 7 in Scott County Court.