Sampson County Sheriff’s authorities continue to crack down on marijuana trafficking in the county, the latest seizure coming on Friday at 20 pounds, a case in which a Clinton man has been charged.

On Friday, agents with the Sampson County Special Investigations Division conducted a joint investigation with Fayetteville Police Department that led to the seizure of the 20 pounds of marijuana. According to sheriff’s officials, the joint investigation between the two agencies “developed enough probable cause” to execute a search warrant at 25 Rowan Creek Lane, Clinton, where agents arrested Jose Manuel Lopez-Sanchez, 33, of the Clinton address.

Sanchez was taken into custody and charged with several felony offenses, including trafficking marijuana, conspiring to traffic marijuana, and maintaining a dwelling for the storage of a controlled substance.

He was placed in the Sampson County Detention Center under $40,000 secured bond and given a court date of Dec. 16.

No further information was released on the case, which was the third large seizure of marijuana in little more than a month.

The Sheriff’s Criminal Interdiction Team seized 110 pounds of hybrid marijuana during a Nov. 17 traffic stop on Interstate 40, A vehicle was reportedly pulled for a traffic violation and, during the stop, a K-9 issued a positive alert on the vehicle and a search was conducted. Authorities said 110 pounds of hybrid marijuana — strains are either pure breeds or hybrid varieties of cannabis, typically of the indica or sativa strains — was concealed inside the vehicle.

A 39-year-old Carrboro man was charged in connection with that case and placed in the Detention Center under $200,000 secured bond.

That stop came on the heels of similar drug enforcement on I-40 on Nov. 1, in which the Criminal Interdiction Team seized 36 pounds of marijuana. A 27-year-old Raleigh man was arrested in that bust and placed under $105,000 secured bond. Sheriff’s officials said those two busts were not connected.

Lopez-Sanchez
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/web1_Jose-Manuel-Lopez-Sanchez.jpgLopez-Sanchez
Clinton man arrested in latest bust

By Chris Berendt

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Reach Managing Editor Chris Berendt at 910-249-4616. Follow the paper on twitter @SampsonInd and like us on Facebook.