Port Neches man indicted for fentanyl possession charge

Published 12:16 am Saturday, March 2, 2024

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

A 35-year-old Port Neches man was indicted this week for possession of fentanyl.

Steven Ray Rode was stopped Oct. 24 by a Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office officer on a traffic violation in the area of North Twin City Highway and Spurlock Road in Nederland.

Rode was reportedly asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, and he said there was not. Rode gave the officer permission to search the vehicle, and a black magnetic box was located in the driver side floorboard. In the box was a clear plastic bag that contained a brown powder-like substance. Along with the box was a cut straw with the same powder residue on it, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Subscribe to our free email newsletter

Get the latest news sent to your inbox

An aggregate weight on the drug and the bag came out at approximately 0.6 grams.

The officer initially suspected the substance to be heroin, but when it was later tested; it was found to be fentanyl, according to information from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office.

Rode was arrested and bond was set at $5,000 by a judge.

He bonded out the next day, according to information from the Jefferson County sheriff’s Office.