Ohio Turnpike traffic stop yields $162,000 in cocaine
OTTAWA COUNTY, Ohio (WCMH) – A routine traffic stop on the Ohio Turnpike turned into a major drug bust in Ottawa County.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said that on Dec. 6 at around 1:30 p.m., troopers pulled over a 2019 Ford Taurus on a window tint violation on the Ohio Turnpike near Elmore, Ohio. OSHP said suspicions were raised and a patrol drug-sniffing dog was called to the scene.
During the search, tamper marks were visible on the dashboard and a hidden compartment was discovered under the dashboard. Inside the compartment were five packages of cocaine and an undetermined amount of cash.
According to the OSHP release, the street value of the estimated 11 pounds of cocaine is approximately $162,000. Rafael Patterson, 32 of Warren, was arrested and detained in the Ottawa County Jail on charges of possession of drugs and trafficking in cocaine, both first-degree felonies, as well as hidden compartments in vehicles, a third-degree felony.
If convicted Patterson could face up to 25 years in prison and pay up to a $50,000 fine.