COLUMBUS – Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers filed felony drug charges against two Georgia men after a traffic stop in Scioto County. During the traffic stop, troopers seized 125 grams of crack cocaine worth approximately $12,500.
On June 4, at 12:11 a.m., troopers stopped a 2020 Hyundai with Ohio registration for a following too close violation on state Route 823. The driver and passenger were asked to exit the vehicle. Upon exiting the vehicle, the driver advised troopers that he had a gun in his waistband. Additional criminal indicators were observed and a Patrol drug-sniffing canine alerted to the vehicle. A probable cause search revealed the contraband.
The driver, Maurice Barnes, 32, Macon, Ga., and passenger, Jonathan Baker, 35, Atlanta, were incarcerated in the Scioto County Jail and charged with aggravated possession and trafficking in drugs, both first-degree felonies.
If convicted, each could face up to 22 years in prison and up to a $40,000 fine.
