« Canadian, U.S. Officials Follow Plane Along Border. | Main | Marijuana Girl ‘Innocent’. »
Bust Nets $2.5 Million Of Pot: Routine Traffic Stop Leads To 2 Arrests, 1,100 Pounds Of Marijuana Confiscated.
By admin | October 9, 2004
Pal-item.com
By Rebecca Helmes
October 9, 2004
Two Florida men are in the Preble County Jail after the Ohio State Highway Patrol uncovered 1,100 pounds of marijuana in their vehicle on Interstate 70.
Troopers stopped Michale J. Hyde, 43, and Luis A. Torres, 47, both of Miami, around milepost 7 for speed and marked lane violations. They were in Hyde’s 2000 Frieghtliner tractor pulling a 1998 Wabash box trailer.
One of the Patrol’s drug-detecting dogs caught the scent of the marijuana. Officers found 10 pot-filled duffle bags in the vehicle’s trailer.
Police estimate the marijuana is worth about $2.5 million on the street.
The men were charged with possession of marijuana, a second-degree felony, and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.
They appeared Friday in Eaton Municipal Court, where their bond was set at $15,000 cash or surety. Their preliminary hearing is 9:30 a.m. Oct. 13.
The tractor and box trailer were seized for forfeiture.
Lt. Rick Zwayer of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the case is still under investigation. He is not aware whether either man has been convicted of similar crimes elsewhere.
Both men could face up to nine years in prison and up to a $17,500 fine.
Drug busts are not unfamiliar to the Ohio State Highway Patrol in Preble County. Their largest catch ever was in Preble County in September 2003 when they found 1,700 pounds of pot in a truck.
“These start with a traffic stop,” Zwayer said.
Topics: Articles | Comments Off
Comments are closed.