An Interstate 30 traffic stop netted bundles of cash, marijuana, a pill and the three arrests, according to arrest reports.
Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Arturo Ugalde reported stopping a white Dodge 1500 pickup just before 6 p.m. Jan. 8 on Interstate 30 west at mile marker 136 for a defective tail light.
Upon contact with the occupants, Ugalde alleged he detected the overwhelming odor of fresh marijuana. All three occupants of the vehicle gave the highway patrolman different, conflicting stories regarding their travels and destination, Ugalde alleged in arrest reports.
Passenger Erik Maray Williams claimed to have a medical marijuana card and admitted to possessing marijuana, the trooper alleged in arrest reports. A probable cause search of Williams’ luggage allegedly revealed a usable quantity of marijuana and a large amount of US currency, which the 38-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio claimed was about $20,000 in cash. The bundles included bill of all denominations, all secured with rubber bands, Ugalde noted in arrest reports.
Driver Ronald Floyd Jr. allegedly admitted to possessing a jar of marijuana. A usable quantity of marijuana and large amounts of currency the 36-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio man to the trooper amounted to about $43,000 in cash. Those bundles too included bills of all denominations secured with rubber and paper bands, according to arrest reports.
A search of passenger Alexanndria C. Green’s purse allegedly revealed two halves of a broken pill identified as acetaminophen oxycodone, which the 32-year-old Cincinnati, Ohio woman claimed Floyd gave her for pain caused by braces that were recently put on, Ugalde noted in arrest reports.
DPS Criminal Investigations Division Agents Phillip Alston and Daniel Kelly were contacted. All three Ohio residents were taken transported to Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office, where they were interviewed by the agents. A DPS canine also alerted on the currency, which Ugalde noted, was an indication the currency had been within close proximity to narcotics.
Based on the totality of circumstances, DPS believed Williams and Floyd were in possession of suspected proceeds from criminal activity and actively transporting them in order to further the criminal activity, Ugalde alleged in arrest reports.
Thus, Williams and Floyd were arrested for money laundering and possession of marijuana and Green was charged with possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance, according to arrest reports.
Green was released from Hopkins County jail Saturday morning, Jan. 9, 2021, on a $10,000 bond on the controlled substance charge. Floyd was also released from jail Saturday, Jan. 9 on a $20,000 bond on the money laundering charge and a $1,000 bond on the possession of marijuana charge, according to jail reports.
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The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
