NY man locked up in SC jail after being found with over 200 pounds of drugs, cops say
A New York man was locked up in a South Carolina jail Tuesday after more than 200 pounds of drugs were discovered during a traffic stop, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Zhiyong Che, a 30-year-old Flushing resident who was driving the vehicle, was charged with trafficking in marijuana (100 pounds or more), the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Che had 224 pounds of marijuana inside as many packages when he was pulled over early Tuesday morning on Interstate 95, according to the release.
A deputy initiated the traffic stop after seeing a vehicle driving south on I-95 that was less than one vehicle length from the vehicle in front of it, the sheriff’s office said.
While talking with Che, the deputy could smell a “strong and distinct odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle,” according to the release.
That’s when Che told the deputy that he had more than 200 pounds of marijuana in the vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
Che was taken to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office Detention Center, according to the release.
Bond was set at $100,000 and, as of Wednesday morning, had not been posted, Sumter County court records show.
Che is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 13, according to judicial records.
If convicted on the felony drug trafficking charge, Che faces a maximum punishment of 25 years in prison and a $25,000 fine, according to South Carolina law.
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This story was originally published September 13, 2023 at 10:01 AM.
