Over 350K Found In Car During Traffic Stop
On Thursday September 17th at approximately 11:30 A.M., Officer Dana Ford of the Michigan City Police Department (MCPD) was working a federally funded Domestic Highway Enforcement (DHE) Patrol on the Indiana Toll Road, near the 44 Mile Marker when she observed a minivan traveling eastbound conduct an illegal lane change. Officer Ford began to follow this vehicle at which time she also observed that the driver of this vehicle was following the commercial semi-trailer in front of them too closely. Officer Ford conducted a traffic stop on this vehicle at which time the driver pulled over to shoulder near the 44 Mile Marker.
Officer Ford approached and began speaking with the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle who was a 53-year- old male from Rhode Island.
Officer Ford began asking basic questions of the driver such as where he was coming from and where he was going. The answers to these questions did not make any logical sense to Officer Ford, so she asked the driver for consent to search the vehicle. During this time, K9 Deputy Jon Samuelson and his K9 partner Bosco of the La Porte County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist Officer Ford. A free air sniff was conducted on the vehicle at which time Bosco positively alerted to the presence of illegal drugs within the vehicle, specifically some locked containers in the cargo area of the minivan.
A search of the vehicle was conducted, and it resulted in large amounts of United States Currency being located in various places throughout the vehicle. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was contacted from the scene and took control of the investigation. Several items were seized from the vehicle which were believed to contain United States Currency. During the course of the investigation, information was developed that indicated that the large amount of currency located in the vehicle was obtained as a result of the sale of illegal drugs.
The driver of the vehicle was released from the scene with warnings for the observed traffic infractions.
The DEA conducted some follow-up investigating over the next several days. On today’s date MCPD was made aware that over $350,000 was seized as a result of this traffic stop. The currency is currently in possession of the DEA as the seizure is being processed through the federal forfeiture procedures.
DHE is a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program/initiative. DHE is designed to disrupt the flow of drugs, weapons and currency being moved domestically on our roadways. DHE, funded by federal monies and administered by Indiana HIDTA, allows additional officers to work criminal interdiction enforcement.
Assisting with this investigation were the following law enforcement agencies: LCSO K9 Deputy Jon Samuelson, K9 Bosco, DEA, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department and the Elkhart City Police Department.
