Police in Scott City seize four pounds of marijuana

Scott City police arrested two men on their way to St. Louis on Wednesday and seized a large load of marijuana, considering February is out of season for the drug.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd charged Orlando Boyd and Christopher Brown with possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.

The men were coming from Texas in a rental car when Scott City police officer Jeremy Perrien stopped them at 11:30 p.m. for speeding near mile marker 89 on Interstate 55, said police chief Don Cobb.

Perrien found that one of the men was driving with a suspended license, Cobb said. Perrien noticed several things that tipped him off as suspicious and conducted a search of the car, Cobb said.

The search yielded about 4.3 pounds of what is believed to be marijuana, he said.

"What makes this uncommon is this time of year," Cobb said. Usually the larger quantities of marijuana are seized around September or October, closer to harvest time, not February, he said.

Also found during the search of the vehicle were two ceramic ballistics trauma plates, Cobb said. The plates are the type meant to withstand ammunition from an AK-47 assault rifle, Cobb said. The plates were seized as contraband.

The plates are often used by those transporting drugs to protect their shipments in case of a drive-by shooting, he said.

"We're seeing them more and more," he said.

Brown is being held at the Scott County Jail. Boyd is being held at the Scott City Jail. Both are held on $50,000 bond.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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