Two men are facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 1,002 pounds of marijuana in Madison County.
The drugs, worth approximately $5 million, were discovered during a traffic stop, according to a release.
At 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, troopers stopped a 1998 Freightliner semi-tractor and trailer, with New Jersey registration, for a marked lanes violation on Interstate 70. A drug-sniffing dog was called to the scene after troopers observed criminal indicators.
The driver, Yoel Vareladiaz, 41, of Rosenhayn, N.J., and passenger, Varela Sixto, 64, of Sunrise, Fla., were booked into Tri-County Jail and charged with possession of marijuana and trafficking in drugs, both second-degree felonies.
If convicted, each could face up to 16 years in prison and up to a $30,000 fine.
Thank you for reading the Springfield News-Sun and for supporting local journalism. Subscribers: log in for access to your daily ePaper and premium newsletters.
Thank you for supporting in-depth local journalism with your subscription to the Springfield News-Sun. Get more news when you want it with email newsletters just for subscribers. Sign up here.