A pair of Ohio County deputies conducted the largest marijuana bust in the history of the sheriff’s office this morning near the seven-mile marker on Two-Mile Hill along Interstate 70.
Major Rod Vaught and Cpl. Nate Dober witnessed a white, middle-aged male driving a white van erratically in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the bottom of Two-Mile Hill and then initiated the traffic stop. The two deputies quickly discovered a total of 428 pounds of marijuana that has a street value of more than $1.3 million.
“The motorist was speeding and then he suddenly cut someone off and that is when the deputies initiated what they believed was going to be a normal traffic,” Howard explained. “The driver, a man in his 50s, was cooperative with the deputies during the incident. A K-9 unit was not needed during the traffic stop because it was clear what was inside the 10 boxes and six large bags in the back of the van.
“At this time, I cannot tell you what state plates were on the vehicle because a lot of the details are still being processed by our investigators,” he said. “He has been held here at the sheriff’s department and will soon be arraigned. He is being charged with state charges right now, but whether or not those are increased to the federal level or where he will be jailed is unknown at this time.”
The marijuana is being stored in the sheriff’s impound and will be held as evidence until additional decisions are made by authorities.
“Not only is this the largest marijuana bust in my career, this is the largest in the history of the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office, ever,” Howard reported. “This is just proof that on a daily basis that we have a lot of bad stuff flowing this county on a daily basis, but it also a prime example why I am so big on enforcing the traffic laws along I-70.
“We do a lot of traffic stops on Interstate 470 and I-70 on a daily basis. People may not realize it, but our deputies spend a lot of time on the interstates enforcing speed limits, especially since the I-70 project started nearly three years ago,” he continued. “This bust took place because of speeding, and our guys did an awesome job. This is why our guys will continue running traffic every day.”
