Janesville police say they found more than 19 pounds of marijuana in the car of a Whitewater man they stopped early Monday morning. 21-year-old Yovani Ramirez Mendoza was charged in Rock County Court Monday afternoon with possession with intent to deliver marijuana. The criminal complaint indicates a Janesville police officer stopped Mendoza at 12:20 a.m. on West Racine Street for not having a front license plate and noticed the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle. The complaint says officers found a duffel bag in the trunk with 18 vacuum-sealed bags of suspected marijuana and another bag that was tied shut. Assistant District Attorney Cheniqua White suggested Mendoza is a flight risk because of the indications of travel and the potential for a stiff sentence. The maximum penalty for the charge is 12 years and six months in the prison system. White asked for a $5,000 cash bond, which is what Court Commissioner Larry Barton set.
