Deputies pull over driver on I-94, recover "two bags of death"

RACINE (WITI) -- Racine County Sheriff's officials say a traffic stop turned into a major heroin arrest on Wednesday, March 12th.

Sheriff's officials initiated the traffic stop on Wednesday afternoon -- just after 12:30 p.m.

Officials were stopping a vehicle that was headed northbound on I-94.

The vehicle was reportedly stopped for various traffic violations.

"We're looking beyond the stop, and when we look beyond the stop and start asking more important questions and making observations on the inside of the vehicle, and asking additional questions -- this is the fruit of our labor, if you will," Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling said.

A passenger in the vehicle was searched, and 210.3 grams of heroin were discovered on his person. The street value of the heroin is approximately $31,500.

"I look at these as two bags of death. We have seen enough death in our community as a result of the heroin usage," Sheriff Schmaling said.

Sheriff's investigators were able to learn the heroin was being transported from Chicago to Milwaukee.

23-year-old Charles Brown of Chicago was arrested on a charge of possession of heroin with intent to deliver more than 50 grams of heroin (a felony). Brown made his initial appearance in court on Thursday, March 13th.

Sheriff's officials say a conversation with Brown led to a pat-down. The heroin was reportedly discovered underneath two pairs of underwear.

While he's pleased with the effort in making this arrest and taking this heroin off the street, Sheriff Schmaling says there is much more work to be done in stopping the surge of narcotics coming from Illinois into the Dairy State.

"There's no secret. I-94 through Racine County, through Kenosha, into Milwaukee, out of the state of Illinois has always been a drug corridor as long as I can recall. It's a fast, easy, efficient way to transport drugs from one state to another and to distribute them in our community," Sheriff Schmaling said.