Marijuana Trafficking Charges From Mansfield Stop Dismissed

Drug charges against an Everett man were dismissed in Attleboro District Court after a judge ruled that the seizure of 16 pounds of suspected marijuana was illegal.

Hieu Van Dien, 28, will not face the charges stemming from a 2012 traffic stop on Route 95 in Mansfield. The dismissal came at the request of the prosecution according to the Sun Chronicle.

In 2012, Dien was stopped by state police for speeding. The trooper said he could smell marijuana in the car and found a small jar containing it. More marijuana was found in the trunk after during a search of the vehicle.

Quincy defense lawyer Richard Sweeney said his client should have been given a citation for the jar before being sent on his way, while prosecutor Melissa Tafe argued that the jar could have been a decoy bag, justifying the need to investigate the car.