The Ellis County Press: Milford traffic stop leads to drug money arrest

Milford traffic stop leads to drug money arrest
================================================================================
Editor on 11/23/2006 00:00:00


_Paperwork filed to seize money_
SHERRY LONG
_News Editor_
MILFORD - A seven-month pregnant Rebecca Hernndez, 30, was arrested on a third
degree charge of money laundering after a traffic stop.
She was later transported to the Wayne McCollum Detention Center in Waxahachie
where she was being held on $20,000 bond.
If convicted, she could face two-ten years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
Josh Hearn, a senior patrolman with the Milford Police Department, said he
clocked Hernndez doing  79 in a 65-mile-per-hour speed zone as she traveled on
southbound Interstate 35 Thursday, Nov. 16 about 2:30 p.m.
After finding inconsistencies in her story, Hearn said he decided to call the
department's K-9 unit to the scene.
Two-year old Truman, a drug-sniffing labrador, 'hit' on the passenger side of
the rear door of the 1997 green Chevy Tahoe.
Truman alerted officers to a box under the backseat.
Officers recovered $26,696 dollars in cash bundled up in multiple packages.
Hearn said.
'We just seized the money and the vehicle,' Hearn said, noting there were no
drugs found in the vehicle.
'I found three hidden compartments, used to transport drugs at one time.'
Since no drugs were found in the vehicle, it was unknown exactly what type of
drugs the money had been in contact with.
The compartments were found in the center of the dash, center of the console and
in the gas tanks.
Hearn said Hernndez did not give any reason of why she was transporting so much
money.
The officer said he didn't know what would happen to Hernndez's baby if born in
jail.
The Milford Police Department has filed paperwork with the District Attorney's
office to seize the money and Tahoe.
Hearn said it was unknown when the money and vehicle would be awarded to the
department, since it's a civil matter.