PIQUA – A California man will appear in the Preble County Court today after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers seized 16 kilos of cocaine on Interstate 70 in Preble County yesterday.

Javier Villa, 41, of Huntington, Calif., was charged with possession of cocaine, a first-degree felony, and possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony. He was reportedly traveling to New York City.

Troopers stopped a 1997 Honda Accord, driven by Villa, for a following too close violation eastbound on Interstate 70, near milepost 6, in Preble County at 1:10 p.m. yesterday.

A Patrol drug-detecting canine alerted to the vehicle and a probable cause search revealed 16 kilos of cocaine in the vehicle. The cocaine has an estimated street value of $1.6 million.

Villa was incarcerated at the Preble County Jail. If convicted, he could face up to 11 years in prison and up to a $22,500 fine.

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