(La Porte, IN) - A traffic stop resulting in a cocaine seizure in La Porte has resulted in prison time for the driver.  Ramon Castro was given a four year prison sentence and two years on probation for possession of cocaine Friday by La Porte Circuit Court Judge Tom Alevizos.

 

According to court documents, the 39 year old Michigan City man was stopped for speeding at Monroe and Clayton streets in August of 2020.  During a search of his vehicle, police said an officer located a zip lock bag containing more than 20 grams of cocaine.  Suddenly, Castro grabbed the bag and held it tightly inside his fist, police said.

 

After ordered to drop the bag, police said Castro made several remarks about not wanting to go jail and "he didn't mean to."  He threw the bag on the hood of his vehicle a short time later before obeying commands to lay on the ground, according to court documents.

 

In exchange for a plea agreement, a more serious charge of dealing in cocaine was dismissed.

 

Police said a number of empty plastic sandwich bags typically used in selling drugs along with a scale that had cocaine residue on it were also found in his vehicle, a higher end 2015 Nissan GT-R.