Wake County deputies stop Georgia man’s car, charge he had 6 pounds of cocaine

Wake County sheriff's deputies stopped a Georgia man's car Monday and charged him with cocaine trafficking after they found just over 6 pounds of the drug, officials said.

Arrest records stated that the man was identified as Jose De Jesus Garcia, 39, of Norcross, Ga., based on an identity card issued by a Mexican consulate. He had no state issued identification, officials said.

An arrest warrant said the driver had a concealed handgun in addition to the cocaine.

Garcia was charged with two counts of cocaine trafficking, one saying he had the drug and the other saying he was transporting it in the 2006 Kia Sportage that deputies stopped at Interstate 540 and U.S. 64.

Narcotics officers said Garcia had 2,754 grams of cocaine. That is equivalent to just over 6 pounds and well above the 400-gram minimum amount required for the highest level of trafficking, a Class D felony that carries a prison term of 175 to 220 months and a $250,000 fine for a conviction.

Garcia also was charged with using the Kia to keep and sell cocaine and with having a concealed .38 Special snub-nosed revolver and extra ammunition.

A magistrate set Garcia’s bail at $1 million and said he would have to show “positive proof of identity” before being released.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials issued a notice saying they want to take Garcia into custody and asking Wake County to hold Garcia for 48 hours after he otherwise would be released.

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 10:25 AM with the headline "Wake County deputies stop Georgia man’s car, charge he had 6 pounds of cocaine."