Marijuana trafficker gets fine, probation

Published 9:28 am Monday, September 26, 2011

A 34-year-old Kentucky man found with more than 200 pounds of marijuana on Interstate 35 last October was sentenced in Freeborn County District Court on Friday to probation and a $3,000 fine.

Shannon O. Gonzalez, of Radcliff, Ky., pleaded guilty in March to one felony count of fifth-degree drug possession, which was down from an initial charge of first-degree possession.

Shannon Ganzalez

Gonzalez was initially pulled over on Oct. 19 on Interstate 35 near mile 5 by a trooper for nonrelated violations. However, the trooper eventually ended up searching the vehicle with a drug dog, which alerted the trooper to the presence of drugs in the truck bed.

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Court documents stated the trooper found duct-taped boxes and a black hockey bag in the truck bed in which there were bricks of marijuana — totaling 222 pounds.

Assistant Freeborn County Attorney David Walker said in an earlier court hearing that he was concerned the judge may not find the expansion of the scope of the search to be within constitutional limits and agreed to the plea proposal of Gonzalez’s lawyer.

In court Friday, Freeborn County District Court Judge Ross Leuning followed the plea agreement and sentenced Gonzalez to five years probation and five days in the Freeborn County Jail, which he has served.

If he violates his probation, he could face an additional 175 days in jail.

Gonzalez must also complete 40 hours of community service, obey the law, not use mood-altering chemicals, comply with random testing, not own or possess firearms, comply with probation and provide a DNA sample.

He must also maintain full-time employment and pay an additional $80 in court costs.

If he is successfully discharged from probation his conviction will be reduced from a felony on his record.