A Vineland man filed a federal lawsuit last month against city police, asking for $75,000 in damages after he was charged with possession of meth that turned out to be rock salt.

James Buzby III was driving from a friend’s house in 2017 in Vineland when he was pulled over by Officer Jonathan Rodriguez, who mistook two small pieces of rock salt for methamphetamine, leading Buzby to be placed on house arrest for five weeks, then jailed for four months, according to the suit filed June 11 in U.S. District Court.

Neither Buzby’s lawyers nor Vineland police responded to requests for comment.

After asking for Buzby’s license, registration and insurance during the traffic stop, Rodriguez told Buzby he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Camden County and then searched the car, finding what he believed to be meth, according to the complaint.

Buzby was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, according to the complaint. He asked that the substance be tested, and Rodriguez told him it tested positive for a controlled substance via a field drug-testing kit, and would be sent to a police lab for further testing.