ELYRIA – A Maryland man appeared in the Oberlin Municipal Court this morning after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 11 pounds of BC Bud marijuana on the Ohio Turnpike in Lorain County yesterday.

Clay O. Powell, 23, of Highsville, Md., was charged with possession of marijuana, a third-degree felony.

Troopers stopped a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, driven by Powell, for a speed violation on eastbound Ohio Turnpike, near milepost 139, in Lorain County at 1:30 p.m. yesterday. A probable cause search revealed 11 one-pound packages of BC Bud marijuana in the trunk of the vehicle. The BC Bud marijuana has an estimated street value of $449,400.

Powell was incarcerated at the Lorain County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.

# # #

05-157