Morton officer seizes stash of cash - MSNewsNow.com - Jackson, MS

Morton officer seizes stash of cash

By Cheryl Lasseter - bio | email

MORTON, MS (WLBT) - 10's.  20's.  $100 bills.  Morton Police officers and Bank of Morton employees count the cash Thursday afternoon.  The grand total? $672,639.

Around lunchtime Thursday, K-9 officer Josh Hayman noticed an 18-wheeler driving erratically on Westbound I-20.

"Got behind the vehicle, got some more probable cause on the vehicle," Officer Hayman says.

The tractor trailer was chased all the way into Rankin County before it was pulled over. A woman was behind the wheel.

"We had blue lights, siren going, would not stop," Hayman says.

The K-9 hit on the vehicle. The woman gave probable cause for a search.  The cash was hidden in a compartment under the cab.  She was arrested immediately.  

No drugs were found, but officers say a stash of cash like that is most likely drug money. The driver is from California, and that's where the semi was headed.

"We have about four miles of Interstate, we try to work to do our part, to help slow it down. Today we got lucky," says Morton Police Chief Nicky Crapps.

Officer Hayman has five years on the force.

"His training paid off, we been sending him to classes and he did a terrific job. Very proud of all my officers for what they done," Chief Crapps says.

If no one claims the cash, the police department will use it to upgrade their equipment.

Officers on Thursday did not want to release the name of the woman or the charges against her.

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