$1 Million Worth of Weed Crammed Into Van: Police

CLARKSBURG, MD — A speeding van stopped on Interstate 27 in Clarksburg gave out a funny smell, which police determined was the odor from a million dollar's worth of marijuana crammed inside the vehicle. Authorities say the rental van driven by Steven M. Tosi, 53, of Los Angeles, California, was filled with about 250 pounds of weed; he faces criminal charges for the possession and trafficking of the drug.

A Montgomery County Police Officer was checking vehicle speeds with a laser on southbound Interstate 270 just north of the Clarksburg Road exit on Dec. 5 when he clocked Tosi's speeding van. The officer’s laser device showed that the southbound Chrysler Town & Country van was traveling at 66 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone, so he stopped the van.

Authorities say that as the officer approached the vehicle he could smell fresh marijuana coming from the van. When the officer asked Tosi about the smell, Tosi said that he was smoking marijuana inside the van and that there was a joint inside.

Officers searched the vehicle and found about 250 pounds of marijuana packaged and vacuum sealed in bundles in the back of the van. WJLA reports that police estimate the value of the drug at $1 million.

A small amount of marijuana was also found in a backpack on the front passenger seat and a marijuana joint on the front center armrest. The vehicle Tosi was driving was determined to be a rental vehicle.

During questioning, Tosi reportedly said he had picked up the marijuana in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was supposed to deliver the stash to Virginia Beach, Virginia. Tosi was arrested and is being held without bond.

Police charged Tosi with importing a controlled dangerous substance into state, possession of a large amount of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and/or $165,000 in fines, WJLA reports.

»Photos of drug suspect Steven Tosi, 250 pounds of marijuana seized from his vehicle, courtesy of Montgomery County Police