(DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo.) — A Colorado Springs man has been sentenced to over two decades in prison after a traffic stop in 2023 resulted in a “large” drug seizure, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s (DA) Office.

The DA’s office said on July 13, 2023, at around 10 p.m., a trooper with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) and a field training officer (FTO) saw a Chrysler 300 weaving on southbound I-25 north of Castle Rock.

CSP troopers noticed the driver weaving out of their lane on four separate occasions before making the traffic stop. During the stop, the trooper smelled the odor of marijuana and described the driver, 36-year-old Michael D. Hemersbach, as having bloodshot and watery eyes, and his speech was slow. Hemersbach also did not perform roadside maneuvers as a sober person would.

A K9 with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office was called to perform an “open air” sniff and gave a positive alert to the presence of drugs inside the vehicle. Troopers found a large amount of cash, multiple cell phones, and small baggies of meth, cocaine, and ketamine during a search of the vehicle.

Authorities also found a backpack containing three pounds of meth, and nearly a pound of fentanyl pills along with items used for distribution.

Hemersbach pleaded guilty to the following charges:

Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Distribute a Controlled Substance (Fentanyl)

Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine)

Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Distribute a Schedule I or II Controlled Substance (Cocaine)

Driving while Ability Impaired (3+ Priors)

According to court records, this is Hemersbach’s third conviction for drug distribution. Hemersbach was recently sentenced to 23 years in prison for the charges.

“In addition to the vigilance of the Colorado State Patrol for spotting an impaired driver and taking him off the streets before he could injure someone, their efforts also helped us take another distributor of poison off the streets,” Deputy District Attorney Sherri Giger said. “This case highlights the fact that there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop. This impaired driving investigation likely saved many lives.”