Lodi Man Sentenced for Cocaine Transport

A New Jersey man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for transporting 13 kilograms of cocaine through Maryland.

Thirty-one-year-old Jonathan Melendez of Lodi, N.J., was sentenced Thursday. He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

According to his plea agreement, a Maryland State Police trooper stopped Melendez for speeding as he was driving a rental car north on Interstate 95. Melendez's demeanor during the traffic stop led the trooper to request a police dog to inspect the vehicle.

The dog alerted and a search uncovered 13 kilogram-sized bricks of cocaine in the trunk of the car.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)