A Lake City man accused of drug trafficking made his initial appearance in District Court for Carroll County Monday. Court records say 58-year-old James Roger Evans was taken into custody by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office on an outstanding arrest warrant for a controlled substance violation, a class B felony, and first-offense possession of a controlled substance—marijuana, a serious misdemeanor. The charges stem from a traffic stop about two miles southwest of Lanesboro on Timber Avenue at approximately 2:11 a.m. on April 22. A deputy conducted a probable cause search of Evans’ 2014 Triumph Thunderbird motorcycle and located substances believed to be methamphetamine and marijuana. The suspected methamphetamine was found separated into three baggies that were labeled by weight. The motorcycle’s saddle bags also contained empty baggies and a digital scale. The materials were sent to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) laboratory for testing. Results returned positive for 36 grams of methamphetamine and nearly six grams of marijuana. Evans was released from the Carroll County jail after posting a $20,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on July 11 at the Carroll County Courthouse. If found guilty, Evans faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison.
