20-year-old was pulled over but what was in car landed him in jail, SC cops say
A recent traffic stop in South Carolina led to the search of a vehicle and the driver was arrested for what officers uncovered, according to the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department.
A 20-year-old man from Monetta, who was not publicly identified, was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana, following Saturday’s traffic stop, police said in a news release.
At about 4:15 p.m. Saturday, officers stopped a vehicle on Willis Street for a traffic violation, according to the release. Information about what traffic laws that appeared to be broken was not available.
The officers who made the traffic stop smelled marijuana coming from the vehicle, which led them to conduct a probable cause search, police said. The officers found about 14 ounces of marijuana, guns and ammunition, according to the release.
Although two handguns were found, the only crime that police said in the release that the man faces is the drug charge.
The 20-year-old was taken into custody without incident, police said. He was taken to the Batesburg-Leesville Police Department, where he’s being held while waiting for a bond hearing, according to the release.
If convicted on the felony drug charge, the 20-year-old faces a maximum punishment of 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine if he is a first time offender, according to South Carolina law. Anyone convicted of being a multiple-time offender faces a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars and a $20,000 fine.
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