Stafford, VA. Deputies with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office arrested a suspect on Friday for bringing marijuana into the Stafford County Courthouse.

On May 11, 2018 at approximately 8:40 a.m., a male subject came into the courthouse and approached security wearing a backpack and carrying a cell phone. Deputy Larry Neal advised the subject that he would need to put the cell phone in one of the lockers. The subject complied and went through the security checkpoint without incident.

Shortly thereafter, the deputy noticed the subject’s backpack unattended near the lockers. To check for potential security risks, the deputy ran the backpack through an x-ray machine. The deputy detected the smell of burnt marijuana emanating from the bag. Upon opening the backpack, the deputy discovered a green leafy substance consistent with marijuana inside.

The deputy then located the suspect, identified as Cedric Baron Thorne, 27, of Hustle and told him about the marijuana discovered in the backpack. Thorne was taken into custody and released on a personal recognizance bond. He is charged with possession of marijuana.

This is the second recent occurrence of a suspect being detained for bringing marijuana into the courthouse. On April 11, 2018, a suspect was taken into custody after attempting to go through security at the courthouse with marijuana in his pockets.