MANSFIELD – A 31-year-old Mansfield man may face drug charges after a K-9 officer alerted a Richland County Sheriff’s deputy.
At 11:19 a.m. Tuesday, a deputy stopped a 1999 Ford truck driven by Keith M. Underwood on Leppo Road for a traffic violation. Based on Underwood’s behavior and previous criminal history, the deputy called for assistance. He also ran his K-9 partner around the vehicle. The K-9 alerted on the vehicle, prompting a search by the deputy.
The deputy detected a strong smell of suspected marijuana when he opened the passenger side door. A backpack with vacuum-sealed bags of suspected marijuana was found on the backseat. A second bag on the backseat also contained opened bags of suspected marijuana, along with $820.
A total of 20 bags of suspected marijuana were discovered. The suspected marijuana, cash and other items were seized and submitted to the property room.
Underwood was transported to station and later cited for speeding. Charges for the suspected marijuana will be submitted to the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office.
