A Hope, Ark., man recently pleaded guilty to possession of 62 pounds of marijuana and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Ninth Judicial District Judge Tom Cooper sentenced Sauls to 20 years in prison with four years suspended.
Sauls remains in the Howard County jail pending transfer to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
The father of Sauls, Joseph Sauls Jr., 58, of Leavenworth, Kan., pleaded innocent to marijuana possession with the intent to deliver.
Cooper scheduled a pre-trial hearing for the father on March 16 and a trial date of March 22.
The father and son were arrested Jan. 3.
A traffic violation and the odor of unburned marijuana led to the discovery of 62 pounds of processed pot and the arrest of a father and son during a traffic stop Jan. 3 in Howard County, officials said.
When the car windows were opened, the smell of marijuana caught the attention of deputies and their canine partner, Kilo.
The marijuana was compacted into bricks or small bales, Howard County Sheriff Bryan McJunkins said.
Deputy Travis Turner stopped a 2007 Honda Accord driven by the son on state Highway 355 south of Mineral Springs, Ark., for a traffic violation. Joseph Sauls Jr. was a passenger in the vehicle, McJunkins said.
Turner was assisted by Howard County jailer and reserve deputy Kevin Rodgers, who was riding with Turner.
Turner smelled the suspicious odor coming from the car and the driver. Turner suspected the men had been drinking alcohol, according to the report.
The deputy searched the vehicle while the father and son were standing outside the vehicle. Turner handcuffed the driver.
When Turner searched near the trunk, Sauls III ran away while still handcuffed.
"Turner caught Sauls III quickly and walked him back to Turner's patrol car," the report stated. Turner found several trash bags along with duffel bags and backpacks in the trunk of the car. The 62 pounds of marijuana were found in the bags. Turner also found $8,250 cash in the vehicle's console.