Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog
On Monday August 19, a traffic stop in South Haven resulted in two men being arrested after it was found the men were in possession of cocaine, marijuana, and an open bottle of vodka.
The men were driving a white Pontiac Bonneville in the area of CR 388 near I-196 at approximately 3 p.m. when they were pulled over in conjunction with the Office of Highway Safety Planning’s Seat Belt grant, according to a news article at Mlive.com. Van Buren County Sheriff’s deputies made the stop, and after investigating searched the Bonneville with the driver’s consent.
Upon searching the vehicle, deputies found 1.5 grams of marijuana, an open bottle of vodka, 0.2 grams of cocaine, and a digital drug scale. The driver, a resident of Gobles, was arrested and charged with cocaine possession, improperly transporting medical marijuana in a motor vehicle, driving on a suspended license, and transporting open intoxicants in a motor vehicle. The passenger of the vehicle is from South Haven; he was also arrested and charged with possession of open intoxicants in a motor vehicle.
The two men were lodged at the Van Buren County Jail. $100 was seized from the men under the Civil Forfeiture Act; police believe the money was related to drug activity.
Michigan drug possession attorneys know that even when an individual is accused of possessing a small amount of cocaine (under 50 grams), penalties are severe if convicted. For example, the defendant may face up to four years in prison and fines of as much as $25,000. For amounts more than 50 grams, penalties increase exponentially.
Drug crimes are aggressively prosecuted in the state of Michigan, and severely punished. If you have been arrested for possession of cocaine, marijuana, or any illegal drug or narcotic it is critical you contact an experienced Michigan drug crimes lawyer right away; otherwise, your freedom, reputation, and future may be in jeopardy.