Man Who Took Taxicab From Scene Of Drug Seizure Is Arrested In Oklahoma

* Police in Pontoon Beach stopped the man on a traffic violation Jan. 15.
He left before police searched his RV and found about 700 pounds of marijuana.

A Chicago man who rode off in a taxi before Pontoon Beach police could find
nearly 700 pounds of marijuana in his vehicle was arrested Thursday night
in Oklahoma City, authorities said Friday.

This time, the man had $183,000 on him.

John Wyatt, 40, was arrested by Oklahoma City police about 9:30 p.m.
Thursday after an officer stopped the vehicle he was in for speeding. Wyatt
was being held in Oklahoma City on Friday, pending extradition to Illinois.

A similar traffic stop in Pontoon Beach on Jan. 15 had led to the search
that turned up 689.5 pounds of marijuana in the rented recreational vehicle
that Wyatt was driving, authorities said.

Pontoon Beach Officer Chris Modrusic had just given Wyatt a traffic warning
and told him he could go when Modrusic's drug dog alerted on the
recreational vehicle.

Modrusic asked to search the vehicle, but Wyatt refused and asked the
officer to call him a taxi, authorities said. After Wyatt departed,
Modrusic searched the vehicle and found the marijuana.

The Madison County state's attorney's office said Modrusic had acted
properly in letting Wyatt leave the scene.

Wyatt was charged later that day with unlawful cannabis trafficking. But by
then, he was nowhere to be found.

Assistant state's attorney Jim Buckley said Friday that he was elated that
Wyatt was in custody.

"You can run," Buckley said, "but you can't hide."