Troopers seized cocaine valued at $200,000


A Hilltop man is facing felony drug charges after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized two kilos of cocaine valued at $200,000 during a traffic stop Sept. 28 in Preble County.

At around 9 a.m. troopers stopped a 1998 Volkswagen Beetle for an unsafe lane change on Interstate 70 and observed alleged criminal indicators after a drug-sniffing dog was alerted to the vehicle.

A search revealed two kilos of cocaine.

The driver, Hugo Benitez, was charged with alleged possession of cocaine, a first-degree felony and alleged possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony.

Benitez was incarcerated in the Preble County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 11 years in prison and a $22,500 fine.

 

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