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.

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.

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