LEXINGTON — A California man accused in a large-scale drug seizure along Interstate 80 has pleaded not guilty in Dawson County District Court.
Arwinderjit Singh, 30, faces multiple charges, including possession of cocaine – 140 grams or more, a Class 1B felony; no drug tax stamp, a Class 4 felony; unlawful or fictitious display of plates, a Class 3 misdemeanor; and possession or consumption of an open alcohol container, an infraction.
Court records show Singh waived his arraignment in writing and entered a not guilty plea. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for June 22 at 10:30 a.m.
According to an affidavit, the case stems from a Feb. 24 traffic stop conducted by the Nebraska State Patrol at approximately 2:32 p.m. A trooper stopped a Freightliner semi pulling a refrigerated trailer near mile marker 254 for a commercial vehicle inspection.
Singh was identified as the driver through a California driver’s license. A second trooper arrived on scene and deployed a K9 unit, which alerted to the presence of narcotics, providing probable cause for a search.
Troopers located a large quantity of suspected cocaine inside the semi. The vehicle was then towed to a Nebraska Department of Transportation yard in Lexington for a more detailed inspection.
Authorities say approximately 242 pounds of cocaine, along with a half-full bottle of vodka, were ultimately found inside the cab of the truck.
Singh was taken into custody and booked into the Dawson County Jail at approximately 7:30 p.m.
