Meth, Knives Found During Solon Traffic Stop

SOLON, OH — A faulty muffler helped police catch a man with methamphetamine and a pair of knives this week. The man's car was stopped on US 422.

Police stopped the car at about 8:45 p.m. after hearing the coughing muffler. When officers approached the vehicle, they saw a large knife stuffed in-between the seat and center console. The driver, a 36-year-old West Farmington man, was driving with a suspended license.

Police searched the car and found a second knife and methamphetamine. The 36-year-old has been charged with drug possession, carrying concealed weapons, driving under suspension and plates for another vehicle. He was also given a warning for not wearing a seatbelt and his faulty exhaust.

Meth use is on the rise in Cuyahoga County. Law enforcement agencies throughout the region have been seizing more meth from criminals over the past few months. Most recently, a U.S. postal worker in Woodmere was found with four pounds of methamphetamine that she was reportedly transporting for a Mexican drug cartel.

Two types of methamphetamine are seeing an uptick in usage: meth tablets (fake ecstasy pills) and crystal meth. In 2017, the county seized 135 fake ecstasy pills. That's up from 77 in 2016. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office also analyzed 181 crystal meth seizures, up from 37 in 2016.

"Methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant, is becoming more prevalent in the seized drugs we are analyzing. We have not seen an increase in deaths from methamphetamine – our overarching problem there remains the opioids like fentanyl and the re-emergence of cocaine," said Dr. Gilson in a statement. "But the appearance of methamphetamine is disturbing, as it has disastrous effects on people's personal health and social well-being."

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