Police say what started as a routine stop for speeding ended with 62 pounds of cocaine and heroin found in a vehicle on Interstate 80.
An Illinois State Police trooper pulled over a black 2014 Ford Explorer after the driver was allegedly speeding on eastbound I-80 at milepost 72 in Bureau County at 12:42 a.m. Sunday, February 2, 2014.
The trooper reported smelling an odor of “burnt cannabis” as he spoke with the driver of the Explorer.
“A subsequent search of the vehicle yielded a small amount of cannabis and two duffle bags containing over 62 pounds of a suspected substance that later tested positive for both cocaine and heroin,” said a statement from Illinois State Police District 17.
The driver, 41-year-old Patrick Romolt of Arizona, was charged with possession with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine. State Police said the accusation is a federal charge.
A passenger who was in the Explorer was released without being charged.
Romolt was held in the Bureau County Jail.
