La Veta pair face felony marijuana charges

by Eric Mullens
LA VETA —  A probation department home visit at a residence on Francisco Street in La Veta this month has led to the arrest of a man and woman on felony drug charges.
La Veta Marshal Harold Willburn told the World Journal this week, the case actually began to break in mid-January when law enforcement went to Calvin Hopkins, 59, and Patricia McComas, 51, home in search of Hopkins’ granddaughter who was reportedly missing from Texas and wanted on a warrant from that state.  Willburn said he went to the home to see if the girl might be at the location or if her grandfather had heard from her.  Follow up investigation showed Hopkins was on probation from Texas on a marijuana transportation conviction.  The Third Judicial District Probation Department then conducted a home visit at the residence on January 26.  Willburn said he was talking with Hopkins outside of the home when probation agents opened the garage door and found 15 live marijuana plants growing in the garage.  At that point law enforcement applied for a search warrant which was executed and a large amount of processed and packaged marijuana, the live plants, and a substantial, yet undisclosed large amount of cash was discovered and seized. Hopkins was arrested.  Later that day McComas was also arrested in connection with the marijuana stash.
The following day, Jan. 27,  police continued to search the residence and discovered paperwork indicating McComas had several alias names.  While the name McComas came back clear in crime computer checks, other names associated with her and tied to her date of birth came back with information which led to her arrest on charges she failed to deregister as a sex offender in Texas.  After an initial hearing on the probation violation Jan 28th, (Hopkins was not allowed under conditions of his probation to have any drugs, or weapons), the pair bonded out of jail, but were re-arrested; both on the new Colorado drug charges and McComas on the failure to deregister as a RSO (registered sex offender) warrant from Texas.  According to Willburn, as of Tuesday this week, McComas had still not registered as a sex offender in Colorado.  She could face arrest on this charge if she fails to registered as required by law.
The pair face felony marijuana charges that include sales, transportation, dispensing and manufacturing; class three felony drug charges.
Both Hopkins and McComas will be back in court at 1:30 pm Monday, Feb. 8 for advisement on formal charges.
According to this week’s Huerfano County Jail Roster, Hopkins was held on a probation violation on a $30,000 cash only bond.  McComas’ bond was set at $10,000 cash and she bonded out of jail the day after her arrest.