Man tells police he sells ‘weed to get by’

Staff report

GOSHEN

Reports said a 21-year-old man pulled over by police over the weekend told them he was selling marijuana because he had no job and was “hoping to get out of that lifestyle.”

Cole Sprouse, 21, of Goshen Road was booked into the Mahoning County jail Monday on a charge of trafficking in marijuana after a warrant was issued for him after a traffic stop Saturday on state Route 14 near state Route 534.

Reports said officers pulled over Sprouse about 6:55 p.m. as he was driving west on state Route 14 for going left of center. He told the officer he was going to Canton, but he appeared nervous, and reports also said he was going in a roundabout way to get to Canton.

Sprouse gave police permission to search his car. When officers patted him down, they discovered $2,690 in cash. Sprouse said the cash was for a friend, but when officers checked the trunk they found a backpack that held a mason jar with 24 grams of marijuana, a pipe and other drug paraphernalia.

Reports said Sprouse told officers he was a drug dealer, and he was “selling weed to get by” because he only had a part-time job. He told police, however, he was recently hired somewhere full time and was hoping to stop selling drugs.

Officers issued Sprouse traffic citations Saturday and after consulting with prosecutors a warrant was issued on a charge of trafficking in marijuana, reports said.

Reports said Sprouse surrendered Monday at the police station, accompanied by his mother.

He is to be arraigned Thursday morning in Mahoning County Area Court in Sebring.