(FORT WAYNE) - A Fort Wayne man is facing a felony charge after police say he was caught transporting more than 18 pounds of marijuana from Michigan back into Indiana.
According to court documents, 33-year-old Iran Cooper was initially stopped by police north of Detroit earlier this week. During that traffic stop, an officer noticed large black trash bags inside Cooper's SUV that appeared to contain marijuana. Investigators believed Cooper was headed back to Fort Wayne and alerted local police.
Fort Wayne Police detectives later spotted Cooper's vehicle crossing the Indiana-Ohio state line on U.S. 24 shortly before 10 p.m. Officers followed the SUV and reported it was unable to stay within its lane, at times drifting into both lanes of travel.
After pulling the vehicle over, police said they could smell raw marijuana coming from inside the SUV. Cooper was taken into custody, and the trash bags were seized.
Police later determined the bags contained 18.6 pounds of marijuana, packaged in 18 separate bags. Investigators estimated the street value at more than $23,000, noting the quantity far exceeded what would be considered personal use.
Cooper now faces a Level 5 felony charge of dealing marijuana. He is being held in the Allen County Jail without bond. His initial court hearing was held Friday, with a trial setting scheduled for Feb. 4.