JAY – A Jay man faces drug charges from both Jay and Wilton police after he was stopped for a vehicle defect Tuesday by a Wilton police officer, who seized 18 bags of individually wrapped marijuana.

Information from that stop was provided to Jay police, who conducted an investigation and gained a search warrant for the residence of Robert Rivard, 22, of Maud Lane, located off Route 140, Jay police Chief Larry White Sr. said.

Jay police executed that warrant Wednesday night and confiscated bags of marijuana totaling less than a quarter pound, more than a dozen premature pot plants ranging in size from 5 inches to 1 foot, and drug paraphernalia, White said.

Wilton officer Blaine Rackliff had stopped Rivard’s vehicle Tuesday and discovered the marijuana wrapped for distribution, Wilton police Chief Dennis Brown said. He estimated the street value to be about $1,000.

Rackliff charged Rivard by summons on a charge of trafficking in a schedule Z drug, Brown said.

White said Rackliff was instrumental in gathering key information in the case that led to further investigation by Jay police. He said it was a collaborative effort between the departments with each handling separate cases.

Jay police arrested Rivard and charged him with the misdemeanors of trafficking in schedule Z drugs and cultivating marijuana, White said.

Jay police worked the investigation throughout Wednesday and gathered more information and obtained a search warrant.

The assortment of drug paraphernalia that Jay police seized during their search ranged from pipes to bongs to rolling papers, White said. Wilton police confiscated drug paraphernalia in their traffic stop as well, that including rolling papers and baggies, Brown said.

Jay also confiscated a small amount of cash from Rivard’s residence, White said.

Rivard was transported to the Franklin County jail in Farmington where he was released on $3,000 unsecured bail Wednesday night.

Primary investigators executing the search warrant at the Jay residence were Jay police Detective Richard Caton and officer Stephen Wilkinson with White, Cpl. Jeff Fournier and Jay officers Mike Mejia and Blaine Rackliff assisting.

Rackliff works for both the Jay and Wilton police departments.