BELLVILLE — Two defendants connected to a drug bust of 75 pounds in marijuana are scheduled for upcoming court dates, according to Richland County authorities.
Juan Cervantes, 29, will be tried on April 30, while Jose Villanueva, 24, will be tried on May 14. The Richland County Prosecutor’s office said those dates could still change. The duo have been charged with trafficking of marijuana and possession in connection with trafficking of marijuana and possession in a Jan. 9 incident, according to the Brand Pigg assistant prosecutor with the Richland County Prosecutor’s Office.
METRICH and the Ohio State Highway Patrol joined forces to collect 75 pounds of marijuana and about $2,000 in cash. The incident took place on Ohio 97 near I-71, said Sgt. Steve Blust, who works with METRICH.
“A trooper did a consent search on a vehicle with a K9 unit. Drugs were observed,” he said.
After drugs were found in the vehicle, law enforcement allowed the car to reach it’s intended destination: a parking lot in Bellville, Blust said.
“We observed two subjects take the car to a house on Middle Bellville Road,” Blust said. “We followed the car to the house.”
Using a warrant, Blust said SWAT and Allied Special Operations Response Team found the two unloading the marijuana out of the car and into the house.
There are also forfeitures filed for $19,989 because of money, five cellphones and a 1990 Ford Mustang which was used for the crime or created as profit, Pigg said.
Blust said there has been a hold on Cervantes by Homeland Security. Neither Blust nor Pigg could comment on the hold.
