Police find $75K, suspected drugs in parked car

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Police found nearly $75,000 and suspected marijuana in a Liberty man’s car Friday afternoon on the city’s East Side.

The man left his car, with a cracked windshield, parked in front of a fire hydrant on South Jackson Street, and when he returned to move it, the police stopped him and requested police-dog backup. The dog smelled narcotics and entered the car, according to the police report.

Opening a metal box on the back seat floor by biting down on it, the dog revealed the thousands of dollars in cash.

The driver of the car, Foad N. Esmail, 48, of Euclid Boulevard, had an additional $9,000 in his pocket, along with loose and bagged marijuana, police said.

Esmail was charged with controlled substance possession and cited for the traffic violation. He has a court appearance at 10 a.m. Monday in municipal court.

The money was turned over to the vice squad. Other agencies involved in the investigation are the Youngstown and Mahoning County prosecutor’s offices, the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The car was towed and will be looked at later by the traffic and vice departments, according to the report.