A Saturday evening traffic stop led to drug charges for a Roanoke Rapids man who was the target of an ongoing investigation as well as his girlfriend who was trying to post his bond later that night.

Halifax County Sheriff’s Office narcotics Agent A.M. Harris said in a press release sent early this morning he conducted a traffic stop on Highway 125 in Roanoke Rapids for a traffic violation shortly after 8 p.m.

Harris noted he could allegedly smell marijuana coming from the vehicle and identified the driver as 23-year-old Marc Anthony Solomon-Cartagena.

A search of the vehicle netted seven Xanax tablets, 15 grams of marijuana, 10 individually wrapped bags of crack cocaine, three grams of powdered cocaine and a digital scale.

Lieutenant George Evans, narcotics Lieutenant Bobby Martin, Corporal J. Clark, Deputy M. Sledge and canine handler J. Keeter and his dog Brody assisted with the search.

Harris arrested Solomon-Cartagena and charged him with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, felony possession of cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.

He was jailed on $8,000 bond and given a May 1 court date by a magistrate.

Meanwhile, Harris applied for a search warrant at Solomon-Cartagena’s residence on Deer Run Drive as the sheriff’s office had received information about narcotics activity at the residence. A magistrate granted the search warrant based on Harris’s previous investigation of the man for the past two months.

During the execution of the search warrant just past 11 p.m., several of the same officers who assisted in the traffic stop helped seize approximately 12 grams of cocaine, 24 grams of marijuana, a glass marijuana pipe and a digital scale.

Alston

Based on the evidence collected during the search warrant execution Harris obtained additional warrants for Solomon-Cartagena as well as his 21-year-old girlfriend, Keyuna Alston, who was at the jail trying to post his bond for the charges lodged against him during the traffic stop.

The two were served with warrants for felony possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana more than a half-ounce to 1 ½ ounces, maintaining a dwelling to keep a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Solomon-Cartagena received an additional $8,000 bond and Alston received a $10,000 bond. She was given a May 1 court date.