16 pounds of pot, cocaine seized, two charged

Narcotics agents seized 16 pounds of marijuana, more than three ounces of powder cocaine and more than an ounce of crack cocaine Monday evening.

Agent Christy Poole has charged Chaz Cornelius Rice, 24, of Gastonia, N.C., with trafficking cocaine, trafficking crack cocaine and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Rice remains at the Cherokee County Detention Center in lieu of $250,000 bond.

Robert Earl Maybin Jr., 22, of Shelby, N.C., is charged with trafficking marijuana following the same incident at 5 p.m. Monday. Maybin remains at the detention center in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Deputies attempted to arrest Rice on a fugitive from justice warrant at a residence at 708 Stateline Road and discovered three bags of cocaine on a kitchen counter, a report at the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office states. Narcotics agents obtained a search warrant and also found crack cocaine in the kitchen and four bags of marijuana in a blue barrel in the back yard, police said.

Officers also located a black bag containing 15 taped blocks of marijuana in the trunk of a Toyota Tercel and a bag of marijuana in Maybin's pants and under the passenger seat of the vehicle, according to the report.

The marijuana has a street value of approximately $25,000.