JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — It was just a normal Saturday afternoon for Texas Highway Patrol Troopers as they cruised down FM- 365 in Jefferson County conducting a routine traffic patrol.
Little did they know pulling over one speeding motorist would make things much more interesting.
After watching a white Toyota Camry fail to move over and slow down while passing a patrol car surveying a crash scene, Trooper T. Martin flipped on his lights and pulled over the vehicle.
As Smith approached the car to talk to the driver, later identified as 33-year-old Lucas Lejune, he smelled the distinctive scent of marijuana coming from the open window.
Smith then looked down and saw a large plastic bag that allegedly contained a green, leafy bud sitting in plain view on the passenger floorboard.
Believing the bag to contain marijuana, Smith asked Lejune to step out of the vehicle. Lejune complied and when asked if he had any other illicit substances in the car, Lejune reportedly admitted to having THC carts in his back seat.
Based on this evidence Smith did a probable cause search of Lejune's car and allegedly found much more than a bag of marijuana and a few THC carts.
In the center console smith found a yellow package of cigarettes which Smith believed to contain marijuana.
Also in the center console was a large amount of U.S. currency rolled in rubber bands reportedly totaling to between $5,000 and $6,000.
According to Texas Highway Patrol, Lejune did not have any bank receipts or statements of withdrawal for the large sum of cash.
After moving on to the back seat, Smith found 15 vape cart boxes that each had a California marijuana warning label printed on them. In a black bag Smith found a package labeled "Cheetos" with a warning label that indicated that the chips were infused with THC.
Also in the black bag were 3 additional baggies of what appeared to be marijuana, and a bag of what is believed to be psilocybin mushrooms.
After weighing all the illicit substances, they totaled at 30.2 grams.
Lejune was then arrested for possession of a controlled substance THC, possession of a controlled substance psilocybin, and possession of marijuana.
After waving his Miranda rights, Lejune admitted to buying the drugs and then selling them to his co-workers at Labelle Co. Manufacturing.
Lejune also said he had bought the large bag of narcotics from a local drug dealer.
Smith seized the money found in Lejune's car believing it to be connected to the drug deals.
Lejune was then taken to the Jefferson County Jail where he was also charged with money laundering and booked without incident.
He has since bonded out on an $80,000 bond
This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.
