Man in ‘ice’ case to plead guilty

Roman “Roach” Agulto, who is charged with two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance, has opted to plead guilty as part of a plea deal.

Agulto, 45, was facing up to five years in prison for drug possession but the plea deal means that he will no longer face a jury trial in Superior Court.

Now, upon entering a guilty plea to one count of illegal possession of a controlled substance, Agulto will be sentenced to one-year imprisonment, all suspended, and will be placed on one year of probation.

According to the plea agreement, Agulto was found in possession of a controlled substance after a traffic stop on Nov. 24, 2018. The substance was later identified as crystal methamphetamine or “ice.” Agulto was charged with two counts of illegal possession of a controlled substance.

According to the police, two officers were on routine patrol in Susupe village during the night shift when they came across Agulto’s vehicle and followed him.

When Agulto turned left on Pachinko Ave. from Tupak Street, the officers followed and they found Agulto’s vehicle stopped in the middle of the southbound lane. Police momentarily stopped behind Agulto’s vehicle and Agulto reversed approximately 20 feet on the highway toward the officers’ vehicle and nearly hitting it. Agulto then drove a few feet forward and made a west-facing right turn into a residence on Pachinko Ave. The police vehicle made a U-turn and followed Agulto. Police said Agulto rolled down his car window and raised both his hands and then sped away. When Agulto revved his engine, police officers activated their police emergency light and went after the defendant.

Later the officers found Agulto’s vehicle parked along Bakke St. and found Agulto hiding in the bushes.

After calling Agulto out and placing him in handcuffs, police searched the area and found one headlamp and one case that had small clear Ziploc bags containing crystalline substance, and one glass tube pipe with crystalline substance residue in it. When asked about it, Agulto said it was not his.

Police also found other drug paraphernalia in Agulto’s vehicle, including 110 clear Ziploc bags containing a crystal-like substance, and a branch of what was believed to have been marijuana.