Wednesday, June 24, 2015 2:26 pm

Some 70 Bonnaroo fans were stopped by authorities in Middle Tennessee and charged with possession of drugs last week. Among those were four stopped in Cannon County.

In the first incident, Investigators Brown and Gullett spotted a black, four-door Toyota Corolla traveling at 69 mph in the 55 mph speed limit on John Bragg Highway.

"Upon making contact with the driver (Jackson Rockwell Smith) he advised that he did not realize the speed limit was 55 until he saw the blue lights in his mirror,'' Brown reported.

"I asked why he had a Tennessee license and a Georgia tag and he said he was from Georgia but was living in Nashville going to school and he and his friend (Ryan Jacob Wood) were on their way to Bonnaroo," the investigator said.

Both men denied having any drugs in their possession and told the officers they could search their vehicle as long as "we didn't pull any of their stuff out," he said.

Deputy McGee and canine Sony responded to the traffic stop and after questioning the driver admitted to having marijuana in the trunk of the car. Officers discovered two Tupperware containers under the trunk's carpet. A small bag of marijuana was in one container and two large buds (approximate weight was 5 grams) were found in the other along with a grinder and glass pipe.

The officers gave a simple possession of marijuana citation to Wood. Smith was charged with simple possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and speeding.

A similar outcome resulted from a second traffic stop by Investigator Brown.

Brown was traveling eastbound on state Route 70S when he observed a gray Honda Pilot weaving within the lanes. The Honda was bearing Iowa tags. When the van swerved into the opposite lane, the investigator initiated a traffic stop.

"I made contact with the driver (Megan Cassity Nizzi}and she advised they had just driven all the way from Iowa and she was tired. I asked where they were heading to and she advised they were on their way to a hotel in McMinnville for the night and then going to Bonnaroo in the morning," Brown said.

Brown asked for permission to search the van, but Nizzi responded that she and her passenger, Jordan Andrew Zenor, were in a big hurry to reach their hotel.

Brown told the couple Deputy McGee's dog was going to take a quick sniff outside their vehicle and if he didn't alert they could be on their way. Canine Sony alerted to the driver's side rear door.

"The subjects were advised that the dog did alert and that we could smell the marijuana and for them to be honest and give it up," the investigator said.

Small containers of marijuana were turned over the the officers, along with glass pipes and other paraphernalia.

Both Nizzi and Zenor were charged with simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Nizzi was given a warning citation for failure to maintain lane control.