Police

CT Man Transporting 10 Kilos of Cocaine Fled I-78 Stop: Troopers

I78 I-78 Interstate 78 delays

An arrest warrant has been issued for a Connecticut man on a litany of charges after state police say he fled a traffic stop during which he was allegedly caught transporting 10 kilograms of cocaine on I-78 last week. The street value of the drugs may be $1 million or more.

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An arrest warrant has been issued for a Connecticut man on a litany of charges after state police say he was caught transporting 10 kilograms of cocaine on I-78 last week.

I78 I-78 Interstate 78 delays

Part of Interstate 78 runs through Lower Saucon Township in Northampton County. (FILE PHOTO)

In a news release issued Sunday, troopers from the state police barracks at Belfast said 36-year-old Wilfredo Muniz of Bridgeport was stopped around 6 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 2 in the area of Exit 67 on I-78 west in Lower Saucon Township, Northampton County.

According to the news release, Muniz was stopped for alleged traffic violations, at which time “numerous indicators of criminal activity were observed” by police.

Before he could be arrested, police said Muniz “fled from the stop into a wooded area and could not be located.”

After police were granted a warrant to search Muniz’s vehicle–described as a 2008 Honda Accord Crosstour–they said they found the large amount of cocaine, approximately 22 grams of cocaine packaged for individual sale, illegally possessed prescription medication and U.S. currency, all of which were seized.

An arrest warrant on the following charges has been issued for Muniz:

  • Manufacture, Delivery or Possession with Intent to Manufacture or Deliver (felony)
  • Possession of a Controlled Substance (misdemeanor, four counts)
  • Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana (misdemeanor)
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (misdemeanor)
  • Resisting Arrest (Misdemeanor 2)
  • Disorderly Conduct (Misdemeanor 3)
  • Improper Sunscreening (summary violation)
  • Speeding (summary violation)
  • Driving without a License (summary violation)
  • Failure to Use a Safety Belt (summary violation)

Police did not provide a description of Muniz or a photograph of him with their news release, or indicate whether they believe he may still be in the local area.

The charges against him have been filed in District Court 03-2-04 in Lower Saucon Township, according to the criminal court docket that has been filed in the case.

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Police did not provide an estimated street value for the drugs that were seized, but 10 kilograms is equal to approximately 22 pounds. An Ohio TV news story about a Columbus area drug bust in which roughly 22 pounds of cocaine was seized last March listed the street value of the drugs in that case at approximately $1 million.

Note: All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This story was compiled using information from Pennsylvania State Police at Belfast and Northampton County court records.

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About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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