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Officers responding to the New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway freight line found Asad Ali with his 11-year-old son in a Toyota Corolla with no license plates shortly before 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Police Chief Michael Foligno said.
Ali, who was disoriented and appeared impaired by drugs, said his credentials were in a backpack in the trunk, so the officers let him retrieve it, Foligno said Friday.
After failing to find them while fumbling through the bag, the 55-year-old Kuwaiti national Ali agreed to let the officers help, the chief said.
That's when they spotted the cash.
Ali already had a criminal record involving charges of stalking, harassment, criminal mischief, contempt of court and illegal prescription drug possession out of Fair Lawn and Rochelle Park, records show.
Police Thursday night seized the money for possible forfeiture, charged Ali with money laundering, child endangerment and possessing medications without a prescription as well as drug paraphernalia.
They then sent him to the Bergen County Jail to await a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack.
The boy was turned over to the custody of a relative.
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