For possessing paraphernalia as a repeat offender, Jesse J. Jensen of Ontario may face up to two years in prison and the loss of his license for up to five years.
The latest possession count, a misdemeanor, stems from a Sept. 20 incident when police say Jensen, a 41-year-old Church Street resident, had and intended to use a smoking device that smelled like burned marijuana to injest a controlled substance.
The investigation has its roots in a Sept. 9 search of Jacob Knoll’s residence for suspected drug use and/or trafficking. Police saw Jesse Jensen and and his brother Zachary A. Jensen leaving the Knoll residence and were stopped and questioned.
Deputy Isaac Gjefle reported to Ontario Police Chief Dave Rynes that when he conducted a consent search of Knoll’s phone, he saw texts between Knoll and Jesse Jensen.
For a prior possession conviction, Jensen had been under supervision since Oct. 6, 2021. Rynes did a probation pickup for Jensen and placed him under arrest without incident Sept. 20, transporting him to the Vernon County Detention Center. There, staff took Jensen’s urine sample, which tested positive for THC, the principal psychoactive substance of marijuana, and methamphetamines.
Later on Sept. 20, the officers searched Zachary Jensen at the Church Street residence, and then released him. During the search of the house, Rynes found two smoking devices, one of which was on the mattress on the floor and the second was on the shelf near the doorway to the kitchen. Also, Rynes found a blunt/roach on the table near the front door of the residence. All items smelled like burned marijuana, according to the police report.
Jesse Jensen was convicted Jan. 26, 2022, of possession of drug paraphernalia in Columbia County, plus he was convicted of possession of THC in Vernon County on Oct. 6, 2021.