Jackson Center Mayor Busted With Pot
JACKSON CENTER (KDKA) -- A traffic stop led to a drug bust for a local mayor.
Joseph Ferlin, 45, is the mayor of Jackson Center, Mercer County. The population is around 200.
As mayor, he makes $35 a month.
Investigators say Ferlin had 10 pounds of high-grade marijuana with a street value of $35,000.
"I don't see where it's a big deal," Cynthia Rebel, a friend of the mayor, said. "Nobody that knows this man and his wife – he's such a good person to everybody. There isn't anything he wouldn't do for anybody."
Ferlin was busted in Bland County, Virginia, last week after he was pulled over for speeding.
According to the sheriff, Ferlin was driving on Interstate 77 northbound. The deputy smelled the marijuana and found a plastic bag stuffed with marijuana.
Authorities also seized a large amount of cash.
Ferlin's passenger, Raymond Turner, Jr., 50, of Grove City, was also arrested. They told investigators they were returning to Mercer County from North Carolina.
Ferlin hired a lawyer and was able to make bail. Turner remains behind bars at New River Valley Regional Jail in Virginia.
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