Jospeh Wooden

A young Wapiti man who was caught with marijuana he planned on selling has been placed on unsupervised probation.

Joseph “Alex” Wooden, 19, pleaded guilty to a felony count of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute plus a misdemeanor count of possessing alcohol while under the age of 21. However, under a sentence finalized in late September, a finding of guilt was deferred on the felony count. If Wooden can successfully complete 18 months of unsupervised probation, the charge will be dismissed.

“You have been given a real opportunity here,” District Court Judge Bill Simpson told Wooden at an August hearing. “And I know that hopefully you will appreciate that, because in some states — many states, as a matter of fact — you might be leaving this courtroom today as an adjudicated felon.”

Wooden had been pulled over for speeding on the afternoon of April 16, just east of Powell. The stop became more serious when Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Danny Hite spotted a couple containers that appeared to hold marijuana/THC oil or wax and a butane torch, which the trooper suspected was for smoking the substances.

In a subsequent search of the SUV, Hite found a few bottles of alcohol, marijuana and marijauna wax, including 22 small packages of wax and a few baggies containing small amounts of marijuana. He also found a scale that had apparent marijuana residue on top.

Wooden had three juvenile passengers with him, one as young as 15. The juveniles told the patrol that Wooden was selling marijuana wax and had previously provided them with the drug.

Wooden also had a loaded Sig Sauer P320 pistol, which had reportedly been stolen from his former roommate in Cody a few months earlier. Wooden said a friend had either stolen or found the gun and given it to him. The Park County Attorney’s Office initially charged Wooden with a felony count of theft valued at more than $1,000, but that and a misdemeanor count of speeding were dismissed as part of the plea deal.

After making his first court appearance on May 11, Wooden was released on a signature bond. However, he was rearrested two days later, when Cody police pulled him over for an improper turn and found several containers of THC wax, a few pills of Adderall and pipes in his SUV. Wooden said in court that they were items left over from the earlier stop in April and that he’d been cleaning out his car.

He ultimately pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of possessing a controlled substance in connection with the second stop in August.

In total, Wooden served about two days in jail, court records indicate. Another 178 days of jail time were suspended in favor of the unsupervised probation, according to Simpson’s Sept. 29 sentencing order. While on probation, Wooden must obey the law, get permission before leaving the state, stay away from any felons or people on probation and maintain a fulltime job or enroll in a study program, among other conditions. He is also prohibited from possessing a gun.

At an Aug. 19 sentencing hearing, Judge Simpson encouraged Wooden to use his head and run from anything that didn’t feel right or look good. He also urged the defendant not to betray the trust that had been placed in him by the prosecution, defense and the court.

“In other words, don’t make us look stupid,” Simpson said. “Don’t make us have to come back into court because you’re still messing around with drugs [or] you’re still hanging around with people who use drugs, because then you leave us no choice. And then you’re going to be an adjudicated felon and the world’s going to get a little smaller and things are going to get a little tougher. And you don’t need to do that.”

If Wooden takes advantage of the opportunity, “your future looks bright,” Simpson said.

Wooden said he understood how important it was to follow the conditions laid out in the plea agreement. Court records indicate that Wooden sought out counseling on his own following his arrests and that he’ll be continuing with those sessions.

Last month, he agreed to pay at least $100 per month toward the $325 he owes in court costs and fees in the felony case.

He is projected to complete his probation in August 2023, according to a Wyoming Department of Corrections database.