Man arrested after 250 pounds of marijuana found inside vehicle during traffic stop
CLARKSBURG, Md. - Montgomery County police arrested a California man after officers found approximately 250 pounds of marijuana inside his vehicle during a traffic stop.
Police say on the afternoon of Dec. 5, an officer was conducting speed enforcement on Interstate 270 just north of the Clarksburg Road exit when it initiated a traffic stop on a Chrysler Town and Country rental van driven by 53-year-old Steven Tosi.
The officer noticed a smell of fresh marijuana from the vehicle after approaching Tosi during the traffic stop, police say. When the officer asked Tosi about the smell, Tosi claimed he was smoking marijuana inside the vehicle and he had a joint inside.
Police say this led police to conduct a probable cause search of the van in which officers found the large amount of marijuana vacuum-sealed in various bundles. Officers also found a small amount of marijuana in a backpack on the passenger seat and a marijuana joint on top of an armrest.
Police arrested Tosi and he is facing criminal charges related to trafficking and possession.
Police say Tosi told them during questioning that he had picked up the marijuana in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was going to deliver it to Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Tosi is being held without bond.