Missouri State Highway Patrol: Man had 800 pounds of pot in truck

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -Prosecutors say a man was charged with drug trafficking after he allegedly drove 800 pounds of marijuana through Springfield on his way from California to New York. Prosecutor Kevin Young says 56-year-old Ashot Grigoryan was charged Wednesday.

A probable cause statement says a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper who stopped Grigoryan's 32-foot refrigerated truck earlier this year on Interstate 44 found 36 cardboard boxes and five nylon bags full of bundles of marijuana. His paperwork said Grigoryan was transporting stir fry sauce.

The Springfield News-Leader reports (http://sgfnow.co/1QcA8rS ) charges were delayed because authorities thought the case would be tried in federal court but federal prosecutors deferred to state officials.

Grigoryan's bond was set at $10,000 with an agreement to reduce it to $2,500 if he appears in court.

Courtesy of Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com