Ohio State Highway Patrol seizes 871 pounds of suspected marijuana

DAYTON — A man from Mexico is facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 871 pounds of marijuana, valued at nearly $2 million during a traffic stop Wednesday in Preble County.

Troopers stopped a 2004 Ford F150 extended cab pickup truck, with Ohio registration, for a cracked windshield and a following-too-closely violation on Interstate 70, near milepost 13, at about 12:10 p.m.

Criminal indicators were observed and troopers could see a large bundle of suspected marijuana in the truck's cab. A patrol drug-sniffing canine alerted to the vehicle and a probable cause search revealed 36 bundles of suspected marijuana, weighing 871 pounds, located in the truck's cab and cargo area.

The driver, Lazaro V. Montoya, 29, of Mexico, was charged with possession of marijuana, a second-degree felony and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

The suspect was taken to the Preble County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to nine years in prison and a $22,500 fine.