September 17, 2007    Greene County, Missouri
State Trooper seizes 354 pounds of marijuana from a tractor trailer on I-44

On September 17, 2007, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper stopped a tractor-trailer unit on Interstate 44 in Greene County for following another vehicle too closely. The stop and subsequent investigation resulted in the seizure of 354 pounds of marijuana.At approximately 6:25 p.m., a 2002 Kenworth truck tractor towing a box-type trailer was stopped near the 79-mile marker for following another vehicle too closely. Due to inconsistencies found during conversations with the driver and discrepancies with paperwork and logbook entries, the trooper asked for consent to search the vehicle. Consent was denied. A Patrol K-9 was used and indicated a positive response at the rear doors of the trailer. Located inside the trailer were three large bags containing 14 bundles of marijuana with a total weight of 354 pounds.

The driver, Keith D. Yancey, 36, of Victorville, CA, and the passenger, Raymond E. Berry, 40, of Moreno Valley, CA, were arrested for felony possession of marijuana and felony trafficking marijuana, and transported to the Greene County Jail in Springfield.The charges for which Keith D. Yancey and Raymond E. Berry were arrested are mere accusations and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of the charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty it is to determine guilt or innocence.

Source: Missouri State Highway Patrol