Lake City police seize 8.8 pounds of marijuana, handgun during traffic stop

LAKE CITY, Ga. - A traffic stop in Clayton County for a hands-free law violation led to a major drug and firearm arrest.

Officers with the Lake City Police Department were attempting to perform a routing traffic stop.

What we know:

According to a post on the department’s official Facebook page, Sgt. Howard of the Lake City Police Department pulled over a driver on Wednesday afternoon at the intersection of Jones Court and Forest Parkway after observing the individual using a cell phone while driving, which is a violation of Georgia’s hands-free law. 

During the stop, Sgt. Howard detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The driver admitted to possessing "less than an ounce of marijuana," prompting a probable cause search, police said. 

Authorities said the search uncovered not only the small amount of marijuana the driver admitted to but also 32 vacuum-sealed bags containing approximately 8.8 pounds (4,000 grams) of suspected marijuana in the vehicle’s trunk. Additionally, officers recovered a black Ruger 57 handgun under the driver’s seat. 

The driver was arrested and booked into the Clayton County Jail on multiple charges, including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of more than an ounce of marijuana, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime, and driving with an expired license plate. 

What we don't know:

The name of the driver has not been released.

What they're saying:

"Lesson of the day, if you are gonna ride dirty, make sure you come correct and stay far, far away from the City of Lake City," the department wrote in a social media post. 

Police praised Sgt. Howard for the arrest, saying, "Great job, Sgt. Howard!"