A New York man pulled over on I-95 in Harford County Sunday was arrested after police found 67 pounds of marijuana in his car, according to charging documents.
Edgar L. Roa, 36, of the 5900 block of 55th Street in Maspeth, N.Y., was driving south when a Maryland State Police trooper pulled him over between the Aberdeen and Havre de Grace exits, at about 12:55 p.m., according to charging documents.
The trooper, a certified narcotics detection officer, stopped Roa, who was driving a white Ford Taurus with Massachusetts license plates, because he was allegedly following another car too closely, according to charging documents.
During the traffic stop, the trooper noticed "a host of criminal indicators" and used his police dog to search the vehicle, according to the documents.
He found three large black duffel bags in the trunk, each filled with multiple white trash bags that were found to contain 67.02 pounds of marijuana, according to the documents.
Roa said he was traveling from New York to Maryland, according to the documents.
During a bail review Monday, Harford County District Court Judge Dave Carey ordered Roa held on $250,000 bond, despite Roa's lack of any previous criminal record.
Public defender Matthew Gravens argued the bail seemed "ludicrous" in light of the fact that Roa had only one prior conviction, for a fourth-degree marijuana offense, in New York.
Carey replied: "Very small quantities [of the drug] is no criminal offense but 67 pounds is a different story." He noted Roa faces more than 30 years in jail.
He agreed, however, that it was "a bit surprising" that a 36-year-old had only one prior charge.
Roa is being charged with possessing drugs with intent to distribute, possessing a large amount of drugs, importing marijuana, possessing marijuana, possessing drug paraphernalia and following another vehicle closer than is prudent.