A lack of adequate car insurance might lead to a California man spending a decade in federal prison after a traffic stop uncovered 26 pound of methamphetamine, according to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
On Sunday, a Sheriff’s Office detective stopped a sedan traveling east on Interstate 80 near Wanship for an insurance violation, a Sheriff’s Office news release states. When the detective approached the vehicle, he noticed multiple air fresheners positioned strategically around the vehicle, according to a probable cause affidavit, which led the detective to suspect criminal behavior.
The detective and K-9 Gorka conducted an open-air sniff search of the vehicle. The K-9 indicated narcotics were aboard, which led to a probable cause search, the release states.
The detective found 26 baggies each containing about a pound of an off-white crystal material that tested positive for methamphetamine, the affidavit states. The street value of the methamphetamine is estimated at more than $185,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.
The detective arrested the suspect, a 37-year-old man from Tulare, California, and booked him into the Summit County Jail.
The detective was assigned to the Homeland Security Investigations Interdiction Taskforce when he made the stop, and the release indicates the suspect faces federal prosecution. If convicted, the man faces up to 10 years in prison, according to the release.