Troopers find $60,000 worth of fentanyl in secret compartment during stop on Ohio Turnpike

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - An Illinois man is facing felony drug charges after state troopers found four pounds of suspected fentanyl in his car during a traffic stop in northern Ohio.

Troopers stopped a 2012 Toyota on the morning of Nov. 3 for a following too close violation on the Ohio Turnpike in Wood County, according to investigators.

The driver, later identified by the OSHP as 39-year-old Guillermo Moreno, gave consent to troopers to search the vehicle after criminal indicators were observed.

During the search, troopers noticed a modification to the vehicle, which was later determined to be an aftermarket hidden compartment used to conceal the $60,000 worth of potentially lethal drugs.

Troopers stopped a 2012 Toyota Rav4 with Illinois registration for a following too close violation on the Ohio Turnpike....
Posted by Ohio State Highway Patrol on Monday, November 9, 2020

According to Ohio Senate Bill 305, which was passed in 2012, it is illegal to build, fabricate, modify, or alter a vehicle to create or add a hidden compartment with the intent to conceal or transport a controlled substance.

The Chicago man was arrested and booked at the Wood County jail for possession and trafficking in fentanyl and operating a vehicle with a hidden compartment; both felony crimes.

If convicted, Moreno faces over 23 years in prison and up to a $45,000 fine.