More Than Marijuana Found In Commissioner's Truck

Investigators searching a Mobile County commissioner's county-issued truck discovered more than marijuana, according to court documents obtained by News Five.

Commissioner Steve Nodine became the center of an investigation two weeks ago when a worker at the county garage on Virginia Street found a "green plant-like material he believed to be marijuana" on the driver's side floorboard of the vehicle.

Investigators obtained a warrant to search the truck and discovered a pill bottle with Nodine's name on it and what is believed to be more marijuana inside. The pill bottle was found in a blue, nylon bag, which also contained "rolling papers" and a lighter. A second prescription bottle containing hydrocodone was also discovered.

An investigator searching the vehicle "smelled the odor of burnt marijuana" along with a "fragrance he believed to be a masking scent used to disguise the smell of marijuana," according to the return filed on the search warrant.

Nodine denies the marijuana found in the 2010 Ford F150 pickup truck belongs to him.

In a new statement released to News Five Tuesday afternoon, Nodine, who won a second term as county commissioner after running unopposed last year, said "I’m not going to let this investigation slow my work with the tanker and any other economic development opportunities."

The Alabama Bureau of Investigations is handling the case. An ABI spokesperson says once the investigation is complete, the findings will be turned over to Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson.