A James City County man is facing a felony distribution of marijuana charge after police say they found what they suspect to be more than 5 ounces of the plant in his vehicle during a traffic stop.
A James City County Police Department officer initiated a traffic stop against 29-year-old Steven Jermaine Jones at 5:20 a.m. March 21 at the entrance to Chisel Run after the officer noticed one of the brake lights on Jones’ Ford Ranger was not working.
Jones told the officer he was driving without a license because of a previous DUI conviction. The officer noticed a “strong odor of marijuana,” according to a criminal complaint filed against Jones in Williamsburg-James City County District Court.
Jones then told the officer about the suspected marijuana, according to the complaint. The officer wrote he found the suspected marijuana in the backseat of the vehicle along with a digital scale in the same bag.
After arresting Jones, he told the officer the marijuana was not just for personal use but that he sold it and gave it away, according to the complaint. He told the officer he picks up 4 ounces of the plant once per week and the batch the officer found had been picked up at about 3 p.m. March 20. He also told the officer he had already sold about half an ounce, according to the complaint.
The officer wrote that he used the digital scale to weigh the suspected marijuana he found, which came out to 5.35 ounces. Along with the suspected marijuana and scale, the officer also found $494 in cash in Jones’ possession.
Maj. Stephen Rubino of the James City County Police Department said the suspected marijuana was contained in numerous individually wrapped bags.
Jones faces one felony count of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, one count of driving on a suspended license and one count of defective equipment.
