It may have taken a while, but prosecutors in Bergen County NJ ultimately decided that a Bronx NY man should face criminal charges for cocaine distribution.

The suspect, a 46-year-old resident of The Bronx in New York, was pulled over by Hackensack patrol officers in June after he reportedly committed a traffic violation while driving an SUV on a road in Hackensack, NJ.

When the Hackensack cops talked to the suspect, he showed signs of nervousness: his hands were shaking and he could not maintain eye contact with the police officers. This prompted the police officers to search the suspect’s vehicle. That search reportedly led to the discovery of seven bundles of cash wrapped in plastic and placed in a hidden compartment. According to authorities, the cash totaled approximately $324,000.

Beyond that, the money reportedly smelled like cocaine. In a civil forfeiture complaint filed by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, prosecutors claimed that the cash “gave off a distinct odor of cocaine” to the Hackensack NJ cops who searched the vehicle.

However, since law enforcement did not actually find cocaine, or any other illegal drugs, inside the suspect’s motor vehicle, Bergen County prosecutors had to wait before deciding whether to file criminal charges for cocaine trafficking.

Now the decision has been made and the suspect faces very serious charges for transporting or possession property believed to be derived from criminal activity.

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Man Arrested Because He Had $324K That Smelled Like Cocaine, Prosecutor Says.”