STATESVILLE ó The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office seized more than $37,000 in cash from a traffic stop on Interstate 77 Thursday.
Sheriff Phil Redmond said an officer found $30,300 in cash in a white plastic bag hidden in a compartment behind both the front seats. A search of the driver turned up $6,860 in a brown paper bag on his person.
The cash seizure came about when the department’s Criminal Enforcement Team stopped a 2003 Nissan 350Z southbound on I-77 at the 57-mile marker for a traffic violation.
Sgt. Dow Hawkins said the officers observed a “number of criminal indicators,” not specifying exactly what.
Officers gave the driver a warning ticket and asked for consent to search the vehicle which was denied.
After a K-9 checked the vehicle and indicated the presence of drugs, a subsequent search turned up the hidden compartments and the money.
Both the money and the vehicle were seized.
No charges have been filed at this time. The U.S. Customs office is assisting.
The two men identified as suspects are Taj Emil Stone, of 3258 Coronta Drive, San Jose, Calif., and Issachard Dawad Martin, of 10095 Clearwater Trail, Jonesboro, Ga.
The men told officers they were traveling from New York to Atlanta.