A routine safety inspection lead to the discovery of a large amount of money stashed in the sleeper cab of an 18-wheel cargo truck.

Sgt. Tim Bounds with Mississippi Department of Transportation Law Enforcement said he conducted the inspection. He said he decided to make the search when he noticed that information in the driver’s log book had been falsified.

“He couldn’t provide any factual reports,” Bounds said.

The driver also claimed to have delivered to a nearby Wal-Mart, but again could not provide proof of the delivery, Bounds said. These gaps in the driver’s story and lack of proof lead Bounds to conduct the search. During the search Bounds said he found a large amount of cash stashed in a compartment of the sleeper cab. After the money was counted, Bounds said there was $108,000 in the cab of the truck.

The passenger in the truck, identified as Jorge Luis Gayton, 34, of 7509 Homton, Houston, Texas, was taken into custody for a prior charge of possession of marijuana in Houston. The driver, identified as Eduardo Solache, 34, of 2002 Laura Anne Dr., Houston, was cited for falsifying his log book and taken off the road for 10 hours, Bounds said. Solache had a previous drug conviction for cocaine, Bounds said.

Both occupants of the vehicle claim to have had no knowledge of the money in the vehicle, Bounds said. The incident will now be under the investigation of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

“When it involves money, the DEA usually takes it over,” Bounds said.