Absent man convicted in Cottonwood drugs, firearm case

Law enforcement is looking for a Tucson man who was convicted by a jury Thursday of crimes committed last year in Cottonwood.

Abisai Urias, 32, of Tucson, was found guilty Nov. 16 in Yavapai County Superior Court of transporting 40 pounds of methamphetamine, possessing anabolic steroids for sale and possession of a firearm during a drug offense. He was not present for the trial.

Urias was arrested by an officer of the Cottonwood Police Department May 10, 2022, after a traffic stop for illegal window tint, according to original report. K-9 Otto alerted on the vehicle, a 2017 Dodge Charger, which gave police cause to search the vehicle.

That search allegedly uncovered a black gym bag containing about 29 pounds of meth and a dog-food bag containing around 11 pounds of meth. They also found a 9-milimeter handgun.

Urias was booked into Yavapai County Jail, and was later released pending prosecution. By the time of trail, he was a no show.

According to Yavapai County Attorney’s Office, he faces a sentence of five to 30 years. Anyone who may have information on Urias’ location is urged to contact the Cottonwood Police Department or their local police.

“I commend the Cottonwood Police Department for their excellent investigation, which resulted in the removal of 40 pounds of methamphetamine and an illegally possessed handgun from our county,” County Attorney Dennis McGrane said in a statement. “Methamphetamine ruins lives, and drives all sorts of other crime in our community. This crime was particularly egregious because of the very large quantity of drugs involved, and the presence of a loaded handgun.”

Anyone struggling with substance abuse can find helpful resources at MATForce.org/Find-Help or by call in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration hotline at 1-800-662-4357.