MOUNT VERNON — Illinois State Police arrested a 48-year-old Lawrenceville, Ga. man on cannabis charges following a traffic stop Wednesday on Interstate 64 near Mt. Vernon.

According to ISP, around 11:41 a.m. Wednesday, a trooper patrolling in the area of Interstate 64 eastbound near milepost 71 observed a vehicle driving at speeds above the posted speed limit and initiated a traffic stop.

The Trooper spoke with the driver, now identified as Mikhail V. Subbotin. The smell of cannabis reportedly emitted from the vehicle and a consensual search of the vehicle revealed several boxes filled with suspected cannabis.

With assistance from ISP Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, over 400 pounds of cannabis was removed from the vehicle.

The case was presented to the Jefferson County State’s Attorney’s Office and Subbotin was formally charged Thursday with Class 1 felony possession of between 2,000 and 5,000 grams of cannabis.

He was released from the Jefferson County Jail under special conditions. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for February 13. A Russian language interpreter has been scheduled in the case to assist in communications with the defendant.