A Sunday evening traffic stop on State Route 823 turned into a major drug bust after investigators say troopers found more than 12 pounds of suspected crack cocaine inside a vehicle.
And one of the two people arrested has been down the federal drug road before.
Scioto County Sheriff David Thoroughman and Portsmouth Police Chief Debby Brewer said the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle around 6:26 p.m. October 4 near mile marker 9 in Lucasville as part of an ongoing Southern Ohio Drug Task Force investigation.
Troopers seized approximately 5,746 grams of suspected crack cocaine, which authorities estimated had a street value of $574,600.
Police arrested Stephen Hopkins, 49, of Huntington, West Virginia, and Jasmine Martin, 31, of South Point.
Both were charged with first-degree felony trafficking in drugs and first-degree felony possession of drugs and booked into the Scioto County Jail.
They are scheduled for arraignment Monday morning in Portsmouth Municipal Court.
Another Out-of-Town Man, Local Woman Drug Case
The arrests follow a pattern local law enforcement has seen before: an out-of-town man traveling into Southern Ohio with a woman from the immediate area.
Hopkins is from Huntington, while Martin lives just across the Scioto County line in South Point in neighboring Lawrence County.
That makes Martin local enough to know the area, while Hopkins comes from a city roughly an hour away that has long been connected to the Tri-State region.
But the detail that really stands out is Hopkins’ criminal history.
Hopkins Previously Pleaded Guilty in Federal Heroin Case
Back in 2013, Stephen Michael Hopkins of Huntington pleaded guilty in federal court to aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute heroin.
That case began with a 2011 police encounter in Charleston, West Virginia.
According to federal prosecutors at the time, officers approached Hopkins and another man sitting inside a parked vehicle. Hopkins admitted he refused an officer’s order to get out of the vehicle and instead drove away.
Police pursued.
Hopkins eventually lost control and crashed, and he and the other man tried to run before officers caught them.
A search of the vehicle turned up $10,920 in cash, suspected marijuana, and 26.6 grams of heroin, according to the federal case.
Hopkins later pleaded guilty and faced up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine.
So Sunday’s Scioto County arrest isn’t Hopkins’ first serious drug case.
Martin Has Previous Lawrence County Cases
Martin also has prior appearances in Lawrence County court records.
Those records show previous cases involving assault in 2014, theft in 2023, and menacing in 2025.
Those earlier cases are separate from the new Scioto County charges, and an arrest or charge does not by itself establish guilt.
Grand Jury Could Consider More Charges
Sheriff Thoroughman and Chief Brewer said the new case will be forwarded to the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office for presentation to a grand jury.
Additional felony charges could follow.
For now, both Hopkins and Martin face two first-degree felony drug counts stemming from what authorities say was the seizure of nearly 5.75 kilograms of suspected crack cocaine.
Anyone with information about drug activity can contact the Southern Ohio Drug Task Force tip line at 740-354-DRUG (3784). Tips can be made anonymously.
The new charges are allegations. Hopkins and Martin are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.