Carpinteria, Calif. – On Tuesday, February, 11, 2020 at 12:03 in the morning, Sheriff’s Deputies conducted a traffic stop of a black Chevrolet Equinox traveling northbound on Highway 101 at Casitas Pass. During the stop, deputies searched the vehicle and found nearly one pound of methamphetamine concealed in the dashboard with a replica firearm. Also, in the vehicle they found prescription medication that did not belong to the suspect. The driver, 53-year-old John Scott Bavaro of Buellton was arrested.

A few hours later, narcotics detectives wrote and served a search warrant at the suspect’s residence in the 400-block of Avenue of The Flags in Buellton. At the residence, detectives located evidence of drug sales, an additional seven grams of methamphetamine, and four grams of psilocybin mushrooms.

Bavaro was booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail for possession of a controlled substance for sales (felony), carrying a concealed dirk or dagger (felony), transportation of a controlled substance for sales(felony), commission of a felony after release on bail (felony), transportation of methamphetamine for sales (felony), and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (misdemeanor). He is being held on $50,000 bail.