CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man who was allegedly found with drugs in a church parking lot waived his right to a preliminary hearing during centralized court Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
Derrick John Graham, 28, has been charged by Officer Mitchell Klender of the Clearfield Borough police with five counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, F1; criminal use of a communication facility, F3; five counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance, M; use/possession of drug paraphernalia, M; and public drunkenness, S.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, at 9:53 p.m. April 29, police were dispatched to the area of East Seventh Street, where five people were reportedly smoking marijuana around a Ford Mustang in a church parking lot.
Klender was aware police had received several reports of suspected drug activity in the area. An officer approached from Bowes Street; Klender and another officer approached from East Seventh Street.
Upon turning onto the street, Klender observed a male and female who were walking from the area of the parked vehicle. Others were observed inside it parked in the lot at the Christ United Methodist Church.
Klender approached the couple while the other officers made contact with the vehicle’s occupants. Afterward he went over to assist the other officers, where Graham was standing in front of a police vehicle with his hands on the hood.
An officer was patting down another male when a glass pipe fell to the ground between his legs. As Klender approached the suspect vehicle, he was able to detect an odor of raw marijuana.
Klender also observed that Graham had glassy and bloodshot eyes. The area around his eyes was red and appeared to be swollen; his pupils appeared to be constricted.
Police learned from Clearfield County Dispatch that there were two warrants for Graham. He was placed in handcuffs and then searched.
The search of Graham turned up a small plastic bag containing four bags, a snuff can; a gray-colored glasses case; and a Samsung phone. When Klender removed the glasses case, Graham allegedly stated there were drugs inside it.
After Graham was placed in the police vehicle, Klender opened the glasses case and allegedly observed two small bags of a green, leafy substance. It was suspected to be marijuana.
A clear glass pipe and a bag containing three small bags of a crystalized substance, which was suspected methamphetamine, were also found, according to the affidavit.
Graham and another male were on probation, and a probation officer issued a detainer for them. Graham was subsequently transported to the Clearfield Borough police station and interviewed as part of the investigation.
Graham said he was under the influence of marijuana and Subutex, and there were pills inside of the snuff container that belonged to him. When Klender opened the container, he observed an assortment of pills inside a small, plastic bag.
Graham allegedly stated that most of the pills were Klonopin, except for five, which were Xanax. He also admitted to shoving the two baggies of weed inside his glasses case because they were in his pocket.
When Klender asked him about the suspected methamphetamine, Graham allegedly stated, “yeah it’s mine” and “I just recently started trying it.”
Graham told Klender he doesn’t sell the drugs but only separates them, so that he can use them at different times.
However, he did admit that he will sell pills for other people by arranging deals and collecting payment. He also said there may be messages on his phone detailing arrangements to pick up drugs.
On April 30, a different officer interviewed Graham at the county jail. He said he wasn’t selling the marijuana or the methamphetamine.
According to him, he’d purchased one gram of methamphetamine. He said there were messages on his phone from when he arranged the purchase. He did admit to selling pills to “supply his own habit.”
Police identified the assortment of pills and determined they were clonazepam, buprenorphine and alprazolam. NIK tests of the suspected marijuana and methamphetamine showed positive results for the drugs.
Graham is currently free on $10,000 unsecured bail.