Rhode Island State Police seized 85 pounds of Marijuana

Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell, Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and Commissioner of Public Safety, announces that on Thursday, April 2, 2015, Troopers assigned to the Hope Valley Barracks arrested a New York man and seized approximately eighty-five (85) pounds of marijuana during a motor vehicle stop on Route 95 in the Town of Richmond.

Troopers arrested Bing Zhou LIU, age 21, of Brooklyn, NY during the traffic stop and arraigned him on the charges of manufacturing /possession with intent to deliver Marijuana Greater than 5kilograms and possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.

The Fourth Division District Court arraignment before the Honorable Associate Judge Joseph T. Houlihan resulted in Liu being held at the Adult Correctional Institute pending a bail hearing on April 8, 2015.

The charges allege that on Thursday, April 2, 2015, Troopers assigned to the Hope Valley Barracks stopped a New York registered taxi for speeding and other motor vehicle violations on Route 95 North in the Town of Richmond. The taxi driver advised Troopers he was paid $400 to transport Bing Zhou Liu from New York to Massachusetts.  During the investigation, a probable cause search of the taxi led to the seizure of five (5) FedEx boxes that contained 85 individually wrapped vacuum sealed bags of marijuana.  The total weight of the marijuana seized was approximately eighty-five (85) pounds.  The investigation identified Liu as the alleged owner of the marijuana.  The estimated value of the marijuana seized is $300,000.

A person convicted of Possession with intent to deliver marijuana faces up to 30 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $100,000 but no less than $3,000. A person convicted of Possession of Marijuana in excess of 5 Kilograms faces up to life in prison and/or a fine of not more than $1,000,000.