Walter Neil Carey III, 35, of Pevely has been charged with alleged drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and trespassing. He allegedly was found with a substance that tested positive as methamphetamine and a smoking pipe after he refused to leave the Phillips 66 gas station, 2915 High Ridge Blvd., in High Ridge, according to court documents.
Carey was arrested on Aug. 5, and as of Monday, Aug. 11, he was being held on a $32,500 bond at the Jefferson County Jail in Hillsboro, court records show.
The Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office on June 25 charged him with possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony; unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor; and first-degree trespassing, a class B misdemeanor, court documents said.
Assistant prosecuting attorney Maren Biermann wrote in court papers that the drug charge should be considered a class B felony because Carey was found guilty for at least two previous drug possession charges in Jefferson County, court records show.
A class B felony is punishable by five to 15 years in prison, while a class D felony carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison. A class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000, and a class B misdemeanor carries a penalty of up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
According to the case’s probable-cause statement, a gas station employee on March 16 had asked Carey to leave the business, but he refused. The report did not say why he was asked to leave.
When a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived, he arrested Carey on active warrants. The deputy searched Carey, and allegedly found a bag that contained meth and a glass smoking device, according to the report.