OSHP troopers seize cocaine after traffic stop

LEBANON — A Florida woman is facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 5 kilos of cocaine, worth more than $420,000, after a traffic stop in Warren County.

Troopers stopped a 1998 Honda Accord, with Illinois registration, for a following too closely violation on Interstate 71 at 10:52 a.m. Monday. Criminal indicators were observed and a Warren County Sheriff’s Office drug-sniffing canine alerted to the vehicle. A probable-cause search revealed 5 kilos of cocaine in an electronic hidden compartment behind the airbag in the dashboard, according to a patrol news release.

The driver, Donna Mae Herriges, 32, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was placed in Warren County Jail and charged with trafficking and possession of cocaine and possession of criminal tools.

If convicted, she could face up to 21 years in prison and up to a $42,500 fine.