A Guam Department of Corrections employee has been charged with possession of a controlled substance following a traffic stop earlier this week. Prosecutors filed a magistrate’s complaint against Brian Joon Yong Cha, 39, accusing him of knowingly possessing cocaine, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Guam law.
According to court documents, Guam police conducted a traffic stop on Aug. 19 after observing Cha’s vehicle speeding and making unsafe lane changes on Route 1. Officers said the white Toyota truck initially failed to pull over despite police lights and sirens. When stopped, Cha appeared visibly shaken, and a drug detection K9 later alerted officers to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.
A subsequent search uncovered a clear plastic bag containing a white powdery substance between the passenger seat and center console. The substance later tested positive for cocaine and weighed 0.51 grams, according to Guam Police Department records. Cha, who worked at the Hagåtña Detention Facility, was interviewed by investigators and denied the drugs belonged to him. He was arrested that evening on suspicion of illegal possession.
The case was formally filed in the Superior Court of Guam on Aug. 21. Cha faces one count of possession of a Schedule II controlled substance as a third-degree felony. The matter has been forwarded to the Attorney General’s Office for prosecution.