HYANNIS — A New Bedford man is facing felony drug trafficking charges after police discovered more than 300 grams of fentanyl hidden in a plastic container on top of a vehicle’s engine during a routine traffic stop.
Jason Hendricks-Tobey, 29, was arrested Wednesday night after Barnstable Patrol Officer John Gardiner pulled over his black Cadillac on Sea Street at 8 p.m.
Officer Gardiner initially stopped Hendricks-Tobey for operating with a suspended license, according to the Barnstable Police Department.
During the interaction, Gardiner detected the smell of burning plastic coming from the vehicle.
Further investigation revealed narcotic distribution paraphernalia inside the car, along with several hidden compartments that Officer Gardiner recognized as “hides” typically used for storing illegal drugs.
The source of the burning plastic smell was traced to a plastic blender cup that Hendricks-Tobey had placed on the hot engine block under the hood of the Cadillac.
Inside the melting container, police discovered over 300 grams of fentanyl with an estimated street value of approximately $30,000.
Hendricks-Tobey was charged with trafficking fentanyl over 200 grams and several motor vehicle violations.
He was initially released from the Barnstable Police Department on $1,500 cash bail.
At his arraignment in Barnstable District Court on Thursday, a judge ordered Hendricks-Tobey held on $15,000 cash bail.
