According to Lt. Tommy Butler, the sheriff's office Governor Highway Safety Program officer, a Hoke County man was caught with the illicit substance after a state Highway Patrolman stopped a car traveling 87 mph in a 55-mph zone during a saturation on U.S. 74.
Demetrius Jarrod Steele, 21, of Wyatt Court, Raeford, was arrested in a vehicle stop on U.S. 74 near in Laurel Hill on Saturday at 6:42 p.m. and charged with possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana and maintaining a drug vehicle, according to a sheriff's report. He was placed in Scotland County jail under a $5,000 secured bond.
Steele's silver 1996 Honda Accord was stopped near Whispering Pines Mobile Home Park for a reason not specified in the report. In the vehicle, deputies found two plastic bags of 23 smaller bags containing a net total of 206.8 grams and two partially rolled joints. Also seized was $586 in cash.
Steele was also smoking a joint when he was stopped, Butler said.
Butler said they also caught a drunk driver whose alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit.
The man, who was sitting in his running car with a beer in one hand and a CD player in the other, didn't even seem to notice when officers approached his idling vehicle, the deputy said. The man blew a .30 blood alcohol content level; the legal limit is .08.
"He was pickled," Butler said.
The sheriff's office conducted two checkpoints over the weekend, netting 14 charges, Butler said.
Deputies issued the following charges:
• three were charged with driving while intoxicated
• four were charged with child restraint violations
• one was charged with having an open container
• one was charged with drug possession
• one was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia
• two were charged with driving while license revoked
• one was charged with no operator's license
• one was charged with having a revoked tag
In the saturation campaign, which is when officers concentrate their patrols in one area, 11 were charged with speeding and three were charged with no operator's license.
Lt. Fred McQueen said the Laurinburg police had some setbacks as their checkpoints were cancelled because of rain, but the department still netted 71 more charges in the second week of the traffic campaign.
"The weather wasn't a friend to us," he said.
Laurinburg police issued the following charges.
• 17 were charged with speeding
• Nine were charged with drug possession
• Four were charged with misdemeanors from outstanding warrants
• Four were charged with child restraint violations
• One was charged with reckless driving
• 36 other traffic citations were issued
"I think the campaign went well," McQueen said.
He cited fewer charges in the second week of the campaign, especially the absence of drunk driving charges, with people taking notice of the operation.
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