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John Popper's Mercedes SUV was clocked at 111 mph when Washington State Patrol pulled the car over Tuesday afternoon (March 6) on Interstate 90 near Ritzville.
When police smelled marijuana, they searched the vehicle and found a small amount of pot, a pipe and 14 weapons hidden in secret compartments. The weapons included nine handguns, four rifles and a switchblade. Popper and the driver, Brian Gourgeois, were arrested and released. Both were charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Gourgeois, who resides in Austin, TX, was also charged with reckless driving.
Popper, the lead singer and harmonica player for Blues Traveler, lives in Snohomish, WA. He was born in Cleveland and raised in Princeton, NJ, where he met the musicians that would become Blues Traveler in 1983. The band had major hits with "Run-Around" and "The Hook" in 1994 on their bestselling Four album. They contributed a version of "I Want to Take You Higher" to the NORML benefit album Hempilation in 1995.
After bassist Bobby Sheehan died of a drug overdose in 1999, the band went into decline. Recently, Popper formed the John Popper Project with DJ Logic. Their self-titled debut album was released by Relix Records.
Popper has long been known to be a weapons aficionadeo. During the HORDE Tour, which he created in the '90s, Popper walked around backstage with a sword. His many harmonicas were strapped to his then-large body in an Army ammunition belt.
In 1995, Popper was arrested for possessing an illegal weapon and driving with a suspended registration in New Jersey.
In 2003, he was popped for less than two ounces of pot in Sweetwater, Texas.
This latest run-in with the law is Popper's most serious one yet. Police discovered multiple hidden compartments, marijuana, the pipe, the weapons, night vision goggles and a Taser. The vehicle was equipped with flashing emergency headlights, a siren and an external public address system generally used by police.
The Washington State Patrol's media release states: "Popper indicated to troopers that he had installed these items in his vehicle [in the event of a natural disaster] he didn't want to be left behind." It also says: "Popper indicated that he was a collector of weapons."
The release went on to say: "The Spokane Regional Drug Task Force has been called to assist in the investigation. DEA agents seized Popper's vehicle and he could face federal charges of possessing a vehicle with hidden compartments."
Photos released by the Washington State Patrol of John Popper's weapons confiscated on March 6. In the second photo, Popper is standing in the background.
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