RICHLAND COUNTY, Ohio — A Cleveland man is facing up to 18 years in prison after police say they found $45,000 worth of suspected fentanyl pills in his truck following a chase and crash.
The man, Rafael Martinez, 38, is charged with having weapons under disability, possession of drugs and failure to comply, all felony-level charges, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
The incident occurred on Interstate 71 in Richland County. Authorities say Martinez was in a 2021 Dodge Ram truck when they observed him following another vehicle too close.
According to OSHP, troopers started a traffic stop, but the man didn’t stop. Troopers gave chase, and the pursuit ended when the man crashed his car.
Troopers found three firearms inside the car along with the suspected fentanyl pills.
Troopers arrested Martinez and transported him to the Richland County Jail.
If found guilty, Martinez could face 18 years in prison and a $45,000 fine.
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
