Crime & Safety
Man Hiding In Trunk Had 45 Pound Of Pot Worth $100K: Police
Police said a hotel worker tipped them off that a man who was not staying at the hotel had come in to claim several suspicious packages.
CAMBRIDGE, MA — Police arrested a Utah man hiding in the trunk of a car after a hotel tipped the law enforcement agency off to several suspicious packages they said he sent the hotel. The three boxes ended up containing about 45 pounds of pot worth $100,000.
Cambridge Police arrested Stanley Suojanen, 39, of Cedar Hills, Utah, and charged him with possession to distribute a class D drug.
Staff at a Memorial Drive hotel notified the Cambridge Police of suspicious packages that were delivered to their business after a man — who they said was not staying at the hotel —attempted to claim them.
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When officers arrived, the man, later identified as Suojanen, ran off. After a brief search, police found the man inside the trunk of a car in the hotel’s parking garage.
Police said the three boxed crates had multiple bags of marijuana weighing about 45 pounds with a street value between $75,000-$100,000. They also found nearly $4,000, four cell phones, several keys and a prepaid debit card.
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"This investigation underscores the importance of the Cambridge Police outreach program it has established with hotels all around the City of Cambridge," said a police spokesperson in an email statement.
One of the primary goals of the program is to target those who visit or check into area hotels and motels for the purpose of using, delivering, or selling narcotics or engaging in sex trafficking, according to police.
Through this program, officers are assigned to each Cambridge hotel, and officers have conducted dozens of trainings for hotel staff and management to help them recognize the signs and behaviors of potential illegal activity.
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Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).
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