A suspected methamphetamine distributor appeared Wednesday in Routt County Court in Steamboat Springs.

Randy Douglas Cushman, 37, of Craig, appeared in court Wednesday to request a preliminary hearing, which was set for Feb. 17. Cushman is charged with possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.

On Oct. 26, Cushman was arrested with Barbara Jo Moss, 48, of Montrose, after the Colorado State Patrol stopped the two on U.S. Highway 40. Both were charged with possession of meth, possession of meth with the intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. Moss, who was driving the vehicle, also was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and other traffic infractions.

Last month, Moss appeared in District Court. There, seven of the charges against her were dropped and she pleaded guilty to possession of less than 1 gram of a Schedule 2 substance. Moss also agreed to provide a written statement that could be used in court for Cushman’s trial.

State Patrol troopers said they found two small bags of methamphetamine weighing less than 1 ounce and a methamphetamine pipe in the vehicle. The State Patrol also reportedly discovered a grocery bag full of Sudafed pills, a common ingredient in meth production. The troopers became suspicious when they found an empty suitcase with white residue and a closed black duffel bag, often referred to as the “death bag” in meth production.

The findings prompted the troopers to ask for a hazardous materials crew, suspecting the vehicle was part of a mobile meth lab. The HAZ-MAT crew did not find any active chemicals in the vehicle.