Thursday morning, local law enforcement arrested Cortlend T. Banks, a 31-year-old resident of Lima, Ohio, after reports of impaired driving led to the discovery of a significant amount of cash and over a pound of marijuana.
Bellefontaine Police were on patrol and received a dispatch from the Logan County Sheriff’s Office regarding a blue Chrysler sedan. Witnesses reported the vehicle struggling to maintain its lane and stopping at a stop sign, causing a traffic blockage near the former Homecoming Family Restaurant.
As the officer proceeded to the area, the vehicle was tracked to the parking lot of Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken, where it displayed erratic behavior once again. The officer followed the Chrysler as it left the restaurant and merged onto US Route 33 westbound.
An Ohio State Patrol Trooper alerted to the situation, observed a marked lanes violation, and initiated a traffic stop at the US Route 33 westbound off-ramp to the rest area.
During the stop, Banks was identified and found to have multiple suspensions on his driving record. Law enforcement conducted field sobriety tests, leading to Banks’ arrest after he failed the assessments.
A search of the vehicle revealed $5,000 in cash hidden in the center console, along with an additional $452 found on Banks. A large plastic bag containing 1.06 pounds of marijuana was discovered in the trunk, confirmed by K9 Pyro, during an open-air sniff.
Banks was lodged in the Logan County Jail on charges of felony possession of marijuana, as well as additional charges related to operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI) and driving under suspension.
This incident highlights ongoing efforts by local law enforcement to address impaired driving and drug-related offenses.
