54 pounds of pot seized on I-90

CHAMBERLAIN — A Pennsylvania man was caught with 54 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop Tuesday on Interstate 90 near Chamberlain.

Law enforcement found 54 pounds of marijuana in three duffel bags packed inside a rooftop carrier of the 2011 Dodge Caravan driven by Robert Howells, 31, of Scranton, Pa., after he was pulled over by Brule County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Powers for speeding and erratic lane driving. South Dakota Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Biehl, along with a canine unit, was called to assist during the stop. It was shortly after that the drugs were found.

Biehl said Howells did not resist the arrest and was the only occupant of the vehicle.

Biehl said Howells would not say where he was going, but told the officers he was coming from Montana. Biehl said receipts from California were found in the vehicle.

Howells is charged with two felonies for possession of more than 10 pounds of marijuana and distribution of more than 1 pound of marijuana, and one misdemeanor for possession of drug paraphernalia.

He is being held in the Brule County Jail on a $10,000 bond.

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