MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
a division of the
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY

Troop D Service Center - 4282 South Grand Avenue - Carthage MO 64836


News Release

For further information please contact: Sergeant Mike Watson
(417) 359-1500 ext. 2229
DS2011-16
September 26, 2011

EMPHASIS: Marijuana Seizure At Newton County Weigh Station


On September 24, 2011, at approximately 10:00 p.m., a Missouri State Highway Patrol commercial vehicle officer stopped the driver of an eastbound 2000 Peterbuilt tractor-trailer unit for a routine inspection at the weigh station on Interstate 44 in Newton County. Inconsistencies identified during the inspection and conversation with the driver prompted a trooper at the weigh station to ask for consent to search the vehicle, which was granted. Located in the trailer were bundles of marijuana weighing a total of approximately 213 pounds.

The driver, Federico Franco Jr., 39, Mission, Texas, was arrested for first-degree drug trafficking and transported to the Newton County Jail, Neosho, Missouri.

The charge for which Federico Franco Jr. was arrested is mere accusation and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence.
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