A common vehicle stop led to three arrests for drug possession charges and weapon charges. The arrest started as a non-drug related stop, which created probable cause for police officers to obtain a search warrant and led to the arrests.
New Jersey police officers pulled over a car on Interstate 80 at approximately 1:00 p.m on Tuesday, April 3. Police reports indicate that after the car was stopped by police officers, the officers detected an alleged odor of marijuana. The police detection of the marijuana odor was used as the basis for probable cause that drugs were likely either in the car on the person of the three passengers in the car.
Once the police officers were able to articulate probable cause related to drug possession, the police began to a search for the suspected drugs. After the police officers conducted their search, they discovered 79 tablets of what appeared to be Ecstasy, 48 pills of oxymorphone and a small amount of marijuana. In addition to the controlled substances the police officers also found a .45 caliber handgun, which the police were able to determine was reported missing from a crime scene in another state.
The three suspects in the vehicle were arrested and charged. The driver of the car was charged with driving while intoxicated, drug possession with the intent to distribute and a weapons charge. The two passengers face weapons charges and related drug charges. Each of the suspects is being held on $50,000 bail. If drug charges become drug convictions, the consequences can be very serious. It is very common for drug convictions to involve prison time for those convicted.
Source: Parsippany Patch, “Police: Car Contained Stolen Gun, Drugs,” Natalie Davis, April 3, 2012