HUTCHINSON — A Kansas man arrested and charged in October in a meth distribution case now faces a second case where he’s charged with drug distribution.

Darren Stephenson, 54, Hutchinson, was in court Monday where he was read the complaint that alleges he was in possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute and personal use paraphernalia.

The state alleges he was in possession of a seller’s quantity of marijuana as well as the meth when Hutchinson Police arrested him on Feb. 1.

In the earlier case, Stephenson is also charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to distribute, no tax stamp and personal use drug paraphernalia.

A drug-related search was done on his property in the 1400 block of North Forest.

Drug Unit detectives say that inside his bedroom they found a wooden box containing a digital scale with white residue, new baggies, a zip-close bag with a crystal substance, later determined to be three grams of meth.

They also found a glass pipe with burnt vegetation, another pipe with burnt residue, a second baggie with green vegetation that weighed about a gram and tested positive for marijuana, and a used bag with crystal residue, which is also believed to have been meth.

Stephenson is free on bond in both cases.
He has prior convictions in Rice County for aggravated indecent liberties with a child in 1999 and obstruction of the legal process in 2006.