Pound of cocaine seized during Daviess County traffic stop

A Saturday evening traffic stop along Interstate 69 ended with two Michigan men in jail charged with multiple drug charges, including possessing cocaine.

At 8:06 p.m. Saturday, Trooper Andrew Watson was patrolling Interstate 69 near the 80-mile marker when he observed a dark colored SUV traveling 92 mph in the southbound lanes. Watson stopped the vehicle at the 78.5-mile marker.

While Watson was speaking with the driver, 40-year-old Jerome Middlebrooks of Pontiac, Michigan, he allegedly smelled the odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. When asked about the possibility of drugs in the vehicle, Middlebrooks’s front seat passenger, 42-year-old Keyon Jackson, also of Pontiac, Michigan, produced a small plastic bag of marijuana from under his seat.

Having probable cause to search the vehicle, Watson and Officer Derek Mann of the Odon Town Marshall’s Office began searching the vehicle, eventually finding more than a pound of what field tested positive as cocaine.

Both Middlebrooks and Jackson were placed into custody without incident and were transported to the Daviess County Jail.

Middlebrooks II was charged with preliminary counts of Level 2 felony dealing in a schedule I controlled substance and possession of more than 28 grams of cocaine, Level 6 felony maintaining a common nuisance and a Class B misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.

Jackson was charged with preliminary counts of Level 2 felony dealing in a schedule I controlled substance and possession of more than 28 grams of cocaine, Level 6 felony maintaining a common nuisance, Level 6 felony unlawful possession of a hypodermic syringe and a Class B misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana.