2 men's drug arrests follow a traffic stop

Street value of the marijuana is $5,000 to $6,000, according to police.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Failure to signal a turn on the East Side resulted in the arrest of two 26-year-old men and seizure of roughly two pounds of marijuana.
In response to complaints about drug activity, members of the Street Crimes Unit have been saturating the area of Ayers, Rigby and Shehy streets, Detective Sgt. Kevin Mercer, unit commander, said Tuesday. "Next thing you know, we have a good-sized drug arrest."
Mercer said street value of the marijuana seized during a traffic stop Monday is roughly $5,000 to $6,000.
Arraigned Tuesday in municipal court on charges of aggravated drug trafficking were Valar J. Blair of West Laclede Avenue and James G. Morrison III of Hayes Street, McDonald. Blair is also charged with driving under suspension, failure to signal a turn and fictitious plates. Police said the Pennsylvania plates on the black Dodge he was driving are not registered to the vehicle.
Judge Robert P. MiIlich set Blair's bond at $31,500. Show-cause hearings will also be set for Blair, who has failed to pay nearly $1,300 in fines from previous municipal court cases.
Morrison's bond was set at $15,000.
Criminal background
Dana C. Guarnieri, assistant city prosecutor, told the judge that Blair's criminal background includes domestic violence, drug abuse, breaking and entering, no license, criminal trespassing and several firearms convictions. Police said Blair is under eight open license suspensions.
Records show Blair was placed on three years' post-release control last year after serving time in prison for a gun crime.
Guarnieri said Morrison's record includes assault on police officers, burglary and driving under the influence.
Mercer and Patrolman Patrick Mulligan, meanwhile, said in their report that they followed the Dodge to the Oak Street Market at 1804 Oak after the driver, later identified as Blair, failed to signal a turn Monday afternoon. The passenger, later identified as Morrison, jumped out clutching a large duffel bag and headed for the store, police said.
Tried to flee
Morrison then dropped the bag and tried to flee but was held in place when Mulligan pulled out his gun. "We got him red-handed," Mercer said.
Blair blurted out that there was two pounds of marijuana in the duffel bag and, at first, tried to disavow having anything to do with it, police said. Later, Blair and Morrison admitted having a part in peddling the marijuana, and their comments were videotaped, reports show.
meade@vindy.com