CHP stops on Highway 101 yield pot, cash

CHP officers on Monday afternoon arrested two men in separate incidents for transporting marijuana for sale, despite their pleas that they were taking the drug to medical dispensaries, authorities said.

In the first arrest, Henok Andie, 29, of Santa Rosa was pulled over after his Nissan Maxima approached a CHP officer from behind in the carpool lane on northbound Highway 101 near Todd Road at 3:55 p.m.

Andie then slammed on the car’s brakes and moved to the middle lane, where Officer Shawn Harvey saw that Andie was the sole occupant in the car and stopped him for a carpool violation.

Officer Harvey smelled marijuana emitting from the car, and Andie told the officer that he was taking it to a dispensary in Cotati, even though he was driving in the opposite direction, police said.

A search of the car turned up several cellphones, 6 pounds of marijuana and about $7,000 in cash. Andie was arrested on a complaint of transportation of marijuana for sale, authorities said.

In the other incident, Michael Emery was stopped for speeding at 4 p.m. while he was driving southbound on Highway 101 near Cloverdale, police said.

Officer Crandon Kopriva smelled marijuana coming from the Ford Festiva, and Emery stated that he was taking the drug to a dispensary in Oakland. But police said that Emery could not produce any paperwork proving he had a medical prescription or was part of a cooperative.

A search of the car found 17 pounds of processed marijuana and Emery, 24, of Covelo, was arrested on complaints of possession and transportation of marijuana for sale.