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Lebanon man faces pot delivery charges

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Robert Michael Dowling, 39, of Lebanon is charged with four felony counts involving the delivery of 35 grams or less of marijuana or synthetic cannobinoid.

According to online court documents, he was free on $5,000 surety bond and is scheduled for arraignment at 9 am. July 6 in Laclede County Circuit Court.

Dowling was originally charged with six Class C felonies of knowingly possessing acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate, buprenorphine hydrochloride, oxycodone hydrochloride, alprazolam and a Class D felony of possession of methamphetamine. He was also charged with a Class E felony of knowingly possessing a shotgun while also possessing methamphetamine. According to Casenet, these charges are no longer pending.

According to the probable cause statement, Lebanon Police Officer Josh Allen said he stopped Dowling at the Munger Moss Motel March 8 because his vehicle did not have a working license plate light and the print on the temporary plate was not readable.

During the traffic stop, Allen said he saw an ink pin body with white residue that later tested positive for methamphetamine. The statement said Allen also detected the odor of marijuana inside the vehicle. A search of vehicle also found $3,960 in cash in draw-string pouch behind the glove box, a draw-string pouch containing hypodermic syringes in the drive door pocket, a digital scale with residue between the sunroof visor and the sunroof window, 20 pills identified as acetaminophen and hydrocone bitrartrate, a controlled substance in a cigarette pack in the glove box, a plastic bag containing smaller zip lock baggies, commonly used to package illegal narcotics, in the glove box and an H&R gauge shotgun that Dowling alerted officers to, saying a friend left it in the trunk.

Another officer found Dowling had multiple pills, syringes, marijuana and approximately $2,000 in cash.
According to the statement, officers asked Dowling if there were any other drugs in the car and he said there were no “which is why all the money was in the car.”

Allen said in the statement he believed Dowling posed a danger to the community “because the amount of controlled substance items he was in possession of, the large amount of cash in his possession, numerous baggies commonly used to package illegal drugs for sale, and statements he made, indicated he was a drug dealer. He was also in possession of a shotgun at the same time, indicating the possibility for drug related violence is elevated.”