By Nathan Hardin
nhardin@salisburypost.com
An 18-year-old was in jail Wednesday after he told deputies his car overheated.
What he didn’t tell deputies, according to a Rowan County Sheriff’s Office report, is that he was carrying four bags of marijuana, scales and a metal smoking pipe in the car.
Deputies said they questioned Andrew Paul Banks, 240 Jackson Road, while he was parked near the intersection of Mt. Hope Church and Pop Stirewalt roads Wednesday morning.
Deputies responded to the car after several calls about a suspicious vehicle in the area.
The report said Banks told officers that his vehicle overheated and that he was “waiting for it to cool off.”
Deputies reported that the vehicle smelled strongly of marijuana and the hood of the vehicle was cool to the touch and had no indications of overheating.
When asked, Banks gave consent for authorities to search the car.
Officers found four individual bags of marijuana hidden in a Newport cigarette box in the center console.
They also found digital scales on the floorboard under the driver’s seat and a metal smoking pipe with marijuana residue.
Banks was charged with felony possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver marijuana and felony maintaining a dwelling for storing drugs.
He was given a $7,500 bond and was in jail Wednesday.