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Drugs, movie money, guns found during traffic stop
By Billy Ludt
AUSTINTOWN
Three people, including one minor, are facing charges after more than 300 grams of marijuana and two firearms were found during a traffic stop early Friday.
Deon Johnson, 25, of Sherwood Avenue, Youngstown, is charged with trafficking in drugs, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, drug abuse, failure to comply with police orders and driving without a valid drivers license.
Pre’Seana Rushton, 21, of Rosemont Avenue, was arrested on an outstanding warrant from Youngstown police for failing to appear in court on a previous traffic offense.
A 17-year-old girl was issued two summons for marijuana possession and breaking curfew.
Police could smell “a strong odor of marijuana” while following a vehicle on South Four Mile Run Road, the report said. The car turned onto Mahoning Avenue, and then stopped in the left turning lane when police began a traffic stop, the report said.
Police said the car then accelerated, turning onto Forest-Hill Drive and stopped on Rosemont Avenue.
Passengers in the car tried to exit, and police with guns drawn ordered them back, the report said. Police handcuffed Johnson, the driver, and found five bags filled with marijuana in the vehicle, weighing 310 grams, the report said.
Capt. Bryan Kloss said the department has recovered marijuana in similar quantities, but it’s still a large quantity.
Police said serial numbers on the recovered firearms matched stolen firearms, but the weapons found in the car have been determined not to be stolen.
Police found a bag filled with $100 bills of movie money. Movie money is made to mimic actual currency but is printed with a statement reading “for motion picture use only.” Those bills were initially thought to be counterfeit, and the department is not investigating it further.
Johnson’s court arraignment is at 1 p.m. Monday. No court hearing is set for Rushton.