OSP cites Calif. pair for birthday-present pot

An Oregon State Police stop of a speeding van north of Lakeview turned up about eight pounds of marijuana in wrapped birthday gift boxes, leading to charges against two Northern California men, troopers said.

Around 6:40 p.m. on Monday evening, an OSP trooper stopped a 1990 Ford van displaying Minnesota license plates northbound on Highway 395 near milepost 139 for a speeding violation.

The van’s two occupants were identified as passenger Jordan Braun, 21, and driver Donald Nalezny, 19, both of Sonoma, Calif.

An investigation led the trooper to discover two wrapped birthday presents that contained about eight pounds of marijuana. In addition, troopers say, an ice cooler had about 10 ounces of frozen hash oil. The value of the seized marijuana was estimated at $20,000.

Braun and Naleznywere cited and released to appear in Lake County Circuit Court on drug possession and distribution charges.