Watertown Man Caught with Briefcase Full of Marijuana

State Police discovered a suitcase full of marijuana on early Thursday morning when they pulled over a taxi on Rte. 3 in Hingham, leading to the arrest of two men, including a Watertown resident.

State Troopers pulled over a 2009 Toyota Camry taxi cab at 3:11 a.m. because it had a defective license-plate light and changed lanes without signalling, according to a report released by the State Police.

Trooper Dennis Lynch from the State Police Barracks in Norwell and Trooper Matthew Hannigan from the State Police K9 Section, and his K9 partner, Zander, approached the cab during the a motor vehicle stop. They spotted two men in the back seat texting on their cell phones, and could smell the odor of burned marijuana coming from the car, according to the report.

The passengers told the troopers they were traveling from South Station in Boston to Plymouth. Both men - identified as Charles E. Timbers, 27, of Watertown and Christopher M. Barnes, 23, of East Falmouth – appeared to be nervous as they handed the troopers their identifications, according to the report.

Trooper Hannigan and Zander scanned the exterior scan of the car, and Zander detected something in the Camry’s trunk, according to the report. Due to heavy rain, the troopers then directed the taxi driver to drive off the highway, and he did so and parked under the front overhang of a nearby Home Depot store.

When they searched the trunk, State Police found a large suitcase containing green vegetable matter believed to be marijuana. The approximate weight was 13.5 lbs., State Police said.

Timbers and Barnes were advised of their Miranda rights and taken into custody. The defendants were booked at the Norwell Barracks and were expected to be arraigned in Hingham District Court today.