Mendham Township police officers recently arrested a man after allegedly discovering him in possession of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana during a traffic stop.
According to law enforcement, a Mendham patrol officer pulled over the suspect after observing him using a cell phone while driving.
During a subsequent conversation with the suspect, the police officer smelled the odor of raw marijuana coming from the suspect’s vehicle. The officer then called for backup, including a K-9 unit from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.
The K-9 unit sniffed the vehicle and indicated to police that drugs were present in the car. Detectives eventually conducted a full search of the vehicle after the suspect reportedly offered consent.
The search of the vehicle allegedly turned up several bags of cocaine, an “8 ball” of cocaine, and a smaller bag of marijuana.
According to officers, several of the bags containing cocaine appeared to be packaged for sale.
The 29-year-old suspect, who lives in Dunellen NJ, was placed under arrest without incident. He has been charged with a number of drug crimes, including cocaine possession with intent to distribute, possession of crack cocaine, and simple possession of marijuana.
If the suspect is convicted on the cocaine distribution charges, he faces significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, anyone who possesses more than 5 ounces of cocaine with the intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense the drug may be charged with a first degree felony. A conviction on first degree cocaine distribution charges can result in a sentence of 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
To learn more about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Man Pulled Over for Using Phone Had Cocaine, Crack Cocaine and Pot in Car, Police Say.”
