$3 Million Uncovered During Traffic Stop In Cleveland County

SHELBY, N.C. – Three million dollars in cash was found in barrels containing raw pork shoulders in a tractor trailer during a search by the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office on Sat., Dec. 7.

A deputy with the Community Interdiction Team stopped a tractor trailer which was driven by a Hispanic man traveling on I-85 south bound after the driver failed to maintain lane and impeding the flow of traffic, according to a news release.

The money was found in the barrels following the search.  The Sheriff’s Office believes that the money was headed to the United States/Mexican border.

Deputies say the money is also believed to have come as a result of drug sales throughout the region.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has been called in to help with the investigation.