Stakeout of Colorado Springs auto detail shop led to massive drug seizure

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Colorado Springs Police had been looking into drug deals out of a local auto detail shop for two years, according to new documents obtained by KRDO, and that led to the seizure of pounds upon pounds of narcotics.

We first reported the arrest of William Johns last week, when police said he was in custody for multiple drug felonies.

According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KRDO on Monday, CSPD investigators had been looking into drug distribution at Miranda Auto Detail on Arrawanna Street for the past two years. Investigators got tips from sources that Johns had been selling meth, cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl around Colorado Springs and El Paso County.

Investigators with CSPD set up their own stakeout of Miranda Auto Detail, and they noticed patterns that usually indicate drug trafficking. "For example, multiple vehicles and individuals would arrive at the location, enter into the shop for less than five minutes, then leave the area."

CSPD said they stopped some of the people who briefly went inside Miranda Auto Detail, and they were found with illegal narcotics.

According to the affidavit for Johns' arrest, investigators noted that Johns would drive to a house in the 900 block of Bowser Street to retrieve the drugs and then meet with people. Officers witnessed one meeting at the Citadel Mall, and investigators say the meetings were "very similar" to others, when Johns would pull up next to the other vehicle and meet with an occupant for about 10 to 20 seconds before leaving.

On July 28, officers pulled a vehicle over that had just met with Johns, and investigators found cocaine inside the vehicle. After that, officers got a search warrant for the home on Bowser Street, and that's where they found 16 pounds of heroin, four pounds of methamphetamine, four pounds of cocaine, 4,722 DU of fentanyl pills (M-30 pills), about $96,000 and several firearms.

Johns was arrested just before the search at the residence, but he didn't want to speak with investigators without an attorney present, according to the affidavit.

Johns has a history of felony narcotics convictions and faces new charges of unlawful distribution of a schedule II controlled substance, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, and another class one drug felony. He's being held on bonds totaling over $1 million.