A man who was pulled over by police for not wearing a seatbelt has been jailed for more than three years.
Officers spotted Michael Sherwood driving without a belt on Hilden roundabout in Warrington.
After stopping his car on Lysander Drive on July 24, Sherwood admitted that he was in possession of a small amount of cannabis.
But when officers searched his car they found more than £20,000 worth of cash a further stash of cannabis and a number of mobile phones.
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Sherwood was arrested at the scene and three further searches were carried out at addresses linked to him, resulting in the recovery a large quantity of packed cannabis, another £20,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
Specialist officers determined that the cannabis seized had a street value of between £166,500 and £194,250.
Sherwood was subsequently charged with possession with intent to supply class B drugs and money laundering.
The 50-year-old, of Vulcan Close, Warrington, pleaded guilty to both offences.
He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court where he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Mike McDermott, from Warrington’s Beat Team, said: “This is great work by two of our officers and truly shows the value of police stop checks.
“What started as a basic seat belt check resulted in the seizure of more than £166,000 worth of cannabis and £41,150 in cash.
“On top of this, Sherwood is now behind bars for more than three years.
“During our investigation it was clear that Sherwood has played a leading role in the supply of illegal drugs in the Warrington area, selling cannabis on a commercial scale.
“While this investigation has been resolved our fight against illegal drugs and those who supply them continues.
“Intelligence supplied by members of the public is crucial to this fight and I urge anyone with any information about suspected drug related activity in their community to get in touch.
“You will be listened to and we will investigate the matter.”
You can report suspected drug dealing to Cheshire Constabulary directly by calling 101 or giving the details online via https://www.cheshire.police.uk/ro/report.
Following the sentencing a Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has also been scheduled for November 12th where the court will decide what will happen to the cash seized by officers during the investigation.
