83°
Officer Brett Howard was on patrol when he stopped Tyquan Lee around 9 o’clock Tuesday night after he pulled his 2002 Dodge Neon into the neighboring McDonalds, Chief Keith Bendul said.
Howard “smelled the odor of burnt marijuana emanating from inside the vehicle,” Bendul said in a news release.
After obtaining Lee’s consent to search the vehicle, the 14-year veteran found “72 small [Ziploc] bags containing vegetation believed to be marijuana,” along with 64 clear, empty bags, the chief said.
The drugs, bags and $1,500 in cash deemed proceeds of criminal activity were seized and all four occupants of the car arrested, he said.
All four were charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute the drug within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of drug paraphernalia. Lee also received a pair of motor vehicles summonses, Bendul said.
The chief identified the other three as Bobby Berry, Otis Williams and Blair Thornton. All were processed and ordered taken to the Bergen County Jail on $7,500 cash bail each, pending a Municipal Court hearing, he said.
All four made bail and were released soon after, records show.
Click here to follow Daily Voice South Passaic and receive free news updates.
