Orcas man arrested for pot possession

An Orcas Island man accused of a felony drug crime – possession of Ecstasy – was ordered to serve two days in jail after pleading guilty to a lesser offense.

On March 13, Bradley Kenneth Stoner, 20, pleaded guilty in San Juan County Superior Court to one count of possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to two days in jail. He was also ordered to pay $1,100 in fines and fees.

According to court documents, Stoner, ordered to serve the two-day jail term beginning March 17, purchased food at the Country Corner Store in mid-August and left a small bag on the check-out counter when he walked out. The bag, according to authorities, contained a pipe, some pot and four pills that would later prove to be Ecstasy based on results of a test conducted at the state crime lab.

Following his arrest, Stoner was charged with possession of a controlled substance, a Class C felony, and with possession of less than 40 grams of marijuana, a misdemeanor that carries maximum penalties of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine; minimum penalties are one day in jail, a $250 fine, or both.

Video tape from a store surveillance camera reportedly showed Stoner placing the bag on the check-out counter while paying for the food and then leaving it behind. Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the felony charge in exchange for a guilty plea for the misdemeanor offense.