Man named Weed accused of trafficking weed

Police on Tuesday arrested a 19-year-old Oklahoma City man on complaints of trafficking in marijuana, his third such arrest in less than a year.

Officers said they know the man well and that they’ve arrested his parents and his brother for marijuana in the past. His name? Brandon Clay Weed. Weed and his girlfriend, Vanessa Lila Yahola, 18, were arrested about 1:10 p.m. Tuesday at a home in the 8700 block of NW 90 along with two other people after officers obtained a warrant to search the house.

Officers found nearly 10 pounds of marijuana, about $45,000 in cash, scales, bongs, two assaultstyle rifles, a shotgun and three handguns, according to a police report.

According to a court affidavit, agents with the U.S. Postal Service assisted police in the search of the house where Yahola and her mother, Veingulay Phongsa, 34, were arrested and Weed was taken into custody as he attempted to flee in the backyard.

Also arrested was Jason Yahola, 36, who was detained at a post office where he works with postal inspectors, according to the affidavit.

All four lived in the home, officers reported.

Weed had previously been charged in Oklahoma County District Court on March 3 on counts of possessing marijuana and Xanax with the intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a search of his apartment in December, according to a court affidavit.

About 12:30 p.m. on Dec. 30, police received an anonymous tip about a suitcase filled with marijuana and Xanax in the apartment in the 4100 block of Northwest Expressway. An officer at the scene spoke to Vanessa Yahola, asking her if there was anything illegal inside a suitcase he noticed in the entryway of the apartment.

She said there were drugs inside the suitcase and opened it up for the officer, who wrote in a report that he saw “two large bags of high-grade marijuana,” packaging material and a large “marijuana bong.”

Officers at the scene in December recognized Weed’s name, and in a request for a search warrant said he was a known marijuana trafficker in Oklahoma City. An officer wrote, “I am familiar with Brandon and have arrested his parents and a brother of his for large amounts of marijuana in the past.”

More than 328 grams of marijuana, 116 Xanax pills, baggies and paraphernalia allegedly were found during the December search of the apartment.

His next scheduled court date for that charge was set for Aug. 25.

Weed also was charged on July 10 in Texas County District Court on counts of trafficking marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was released on $50,000 bail and his next court date was scheduled for Sept. 12.

Vanessa Yahola and Weed were released on $20,500 bail.