GUERNSEY COUNTY, Ohio — A traffic stop on Interstate 70 in Guernsey County led to a major drug bust, with authorities seizing 700 hundreds of pounds of marijuana valued at approximately $3.5 million.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol tells River News Network that the troopers discovered the a U-Haul truck filled with weed after they witnessed the driver make a traffic violation.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol also released a video link to River News Network showing the drug bust which you can watch by clicking here:
On January 24, at around 11:43 a.m., Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers pulled over the U-Haul truck near milepost 186 for a marked lanes violation. A drug detection canine was deployed and alerted to the vehicle.
Inside the truck, troopers discovered 700 hundred pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $3.5 million. The driver had told the troopers he was moving across the country from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania and that the truck was filled with furniture, but it was actually filled with weed.
The driver, identified as 33-year-old Ivan Fortunato of Bronx, New York, was taken into custody at the scene. He was subsequently booked into the Guernsey County Jail, facing charges of possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs.
Fortunato is expected to appear in court as the legal process unfolds.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Law enforcement continues to emphasize the importance of routine traffic stops in uncovering criminal activity.
Major drug bust on local highway: deputies seize pound of suspected methamphetamine, cocaine
Noble County Sheriff’s deputies arrested another man last week on drug charges during a another, separate routine traffic stop on Interstate 77. See story above.
This incident marks the second major drug seizure in recent weeks along the I-70/I-77 corridor in the Guernsey and Noble county area.
