The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office drug unit seized 44 pounds of marijuana in the biggest pot bust the county has seen in several years.

Eduardo Alberto Rosales, 29, and Jose Luis Ortiz, 43, both of Charlotte, were arrested on N.C. Highway 33 just west of Chocowinity on Sunday afternoon, after a traffic stop and search of their vehicle by the drug unit’s K-9 Elza revealed marijuana hidden in wooden plaques and the plastic base of a baby seat.

 

According to Capt. Russell Davenport, head of the drug unit, a reliable source tipped investigators off to suspicious activity at a Beaufort County residence — including short duration traffic to and from the home — indicating the home was being used as a drug distribution center. Investigators had had the house under surveillance for a little over a week when they witnessed a white 2002 Chevrolet work van arrive and leave the residence; shortly after, Deputy Jim Mills pulled the van over, Davenport said.

The smell of marijuana in the van had Millls calling in the drug unit, according to a press release from the sheriff’s office. What they found inside spoke to the trade of a higher level of drug dealer and how the product is being moved, according to Davenport.

“Basically, we had a higher level of drug dealer dropping off to a mid-level dealer,” Davenport said. “Four out of five crimes committed, some type of transportation is being used. It doesn’t just fall out of the sky — it has to get here. And there’s always some type of transportation being used.”

In the work van, a large utility box contained 17 wooden plaques, all sealed, stained and varnished. When pried open, each plaque contained approximately two pounds of marijuana, pressed into a 2-inch-thick rectangle and vacuum-sealed. The search of the van continued, turning up several smaller sealed packages in a child’s booster seat and another bag of pot, found amidst some clothing, according to officials.

The total weight, once each plaque had been split apart and its contents weighed, came in at 43.8 pounds, roughly $100,000 in street value, according to Lt. Joshua Shiflett.

Both Rosales and Ortiz were charged with trafficking in marijuana by possession, trafficking in marijuana by transportation and conspiracy to traffic in marijuana. Rosales, the driver of the van, was also charged with maintaining a vehicle to facilitate drug activity. Both men were confined in the Beaufort County Detention Center under $100,000 bonds.

Davenport said that while Rosales and Ortiz have been arrested, the case is far from over, as investigators will be hunting down the suppliers of the marijuana seized.

“This investigation has just started,” Davenport said. “We’re going to try to move on up the ladder.”