CLEARFIELD – Two men who were allegedly found with 30 grams of methamphetamine were scheduled for preliminary hearings Wednesday.
Trevor Brubaker, 19, of New Providence has been charged by Officer Alex Burkett of the Clearfield Borough police with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, F1; criminal use of a communication facility, F3; manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F, two counts; intentional possession of a controlled substance, M; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia, M.
Cory Irwin, 34, of Curwensville has also been charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F, two counts; intentional possession of a controlled substance, M; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia, M.
Brubaker and Irwin waived their rights to preliminary hearings and their bail remains set at $250,000 and $100,000 monetary, respectively.
According to the affidavits of probable cause, at approximately 12:41 a.m. Nov. 30, Burkett and Officer Shawn Fye observed a silver, four-door sedan accelerate on Market Street toward Third Street.
Burkett watched from Temple Avenue as the vehicle came to a stop. Its driver turned right and then accelerated again at a high rate. Officers attempted to get behind the vehicle but were unable to locate it.
Approximately five minutes later, the officers traveled on Temple Avenue in the area of the Dotts Motor Co. and located the vehicle parked near Market Street. The officers observed a male standing next to the vehicle.
When he approached the vehicle, Burkett recognized the front-seat passengers from a previous traffic stop Nov. 11 when he assisted Lawrence Township police. In that incident, Brubaker was taken into custody for allegedly possessing brass knuckles.
Burkett observed four occupants total, including Brubaker in the front, passenger’s seat and Irwin in a rear, passenger’s seat. The other two occupants were a female driver and a rear-seat female passenger.
The female driver told Burkett they were driving around and going to friends’ houses. Her voice was shaking and she appeared to be nervous. When asked why she was speaking with the male outside their vehicle, she said he approached for no known reason.
The female and Brubaker said they were from the Lancaster area and up visiting friends. She also said they don’t stay in Clearfield “all the time,” they go back to Lancaster and then come back every so often.
Burkett asked the occupants to produce driver’s licenses or names with dates of birth. When the driver removed her license from her wallet, Burkett observed large sums of cash in $20 and $10 bills. Brubaker’s wallet also contained a lot of cash.
Burkett asked the driver and Brubaker why they had so much cash. Brubaker laughed, telling Burkett that it was all $1 bills and that it looked like he was working at a strip club.
The driver said she was just paid, and when asked, she claimed she only had $200. Burkett told her that he observed well over that in her wallet. The driver didn’t respond and Brubaker said he didn’t have a job and gave no further explanation.
The rear-seat female passenger gave police the name “Ashley Simms.” However, police were unable to locate her information and found she had provided a false name and date of birth. She told officers her correct name then and said she thought she was wanted in Indiana, Pa.
When Burkett went back to the driver, he asked how many trips she’d made to Clearfield from Lancaster. Her response was “a few.” He asked if there was anything illegal inside the vehicle and she said no.
Burkett asked if she would permit him to search the vehicle and she replied that “she’d rather not.” She said she’d previously been arrested for DUI/marijuana, and that time the officers searched her vehicle and “trashed it.”
During their investigation, Fye looked up court dockets and learned that Brubaker had pending drug cases in Lancaster. Burkett contacted the Pennsylvania State Police and requested the assistance of a K-9 Unit.
Burkett also recalled his department having contact with the same vehicle the pervious afternoon. In another officer’s report, it was noted that Brubaker had a knife concealed around his ankle.
Burkett went to the passenger’s side and asked Brubaker if there were any weapons inside the vehicle. He said no. Burkett asked if he carried a knife on his ankle and he said yes.
As Brubaker went to reach for the knife, Burkett told him that he would remove the knife himself. He had Brubaker exit the vehicle, turn away and he took possession of the knife and sheath from Brubaker’s left sock.
Burkett proceeded to move his hand down Brubaker’s right pant leg and felt a large, hard bulge near his right ankle. Burkett asked if it was a weapon and Brubaker didn’t reply.
When he unfolded Brubaker’s sweatpants, a lighter and a clear, pink baggie containing a crystalized substance fell to the ground. Burkett recognized the substance as suspected methamphetamine; he handcuffed and searched Brubaker as a result. Brubaker was placed into the borough’s patrol unit.
Irwin was asked to exit the vehicle to be patted down for weapons. He indicated he had a knife on him, but he wasn’t sure which pocket it was in.
During a pat down of Irwin, a township officer observed a metal pipe cleaner in his coat. Burkett recognized the metal rod as a tool used to clean residue from marijuana pipes.
When Burkett related the tool’s use to the township officer, Irwin said “yep” and “I’m not gonna lie, that’s what it is.” Irwin was allegedly found with a container of a large number of small pills.
Police asked the female driver to step from the vehicle and informed her that a PSP K-9 Unit would arrive to conduct a sweep. She told the officers that she wanted to tell them about the narcotics inside it.
She admitted that she’d lied to them earlier and there was actually methamphetamine and scales. She also said that the passengers had been “tucking” and “stuffing” spots in her vehicle.
Upon arrival to the scene, K-9 “Tom” alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle. Officers removed a backpack and the K-9 alerted to its contents.
During a search of the vehicle, Burkett found large sums of cash in the driver’s and Brubaker’s wallets, a digital scale, a container of 30 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a glass pipe and a large amount of clear, plastic baggies.
Inside the backpack located near Irwin’s seat, Burkett found numerous items of paraphernalia, including glass and wooden pipes, metal rods, baggies with crystalized residue, butane torches, a scale and plastic straws with white residue.
During an interview, Brubaker allegedly admitted to bringing quantities of methamphetamine to Clearfield from Lancaster on five, different trips. On the past two trips, he told Burkett he brought 2-plus ounces of methamphetamine to sell.
He admitted to selling a quarter-gram of the drug for $40, and that the price is higher because his methamphetamine is “so good.” He said he was selling it in Clearfield because he can sell it here for three times the amount of other people. He also called himself a good dealer because his drug gets people “hooked,” except for himself.
Brubaker said he used the female driver’s phone for illegal drug activity, and if Burkett retrieved it, he would show him.
Fye, along with a township officer, interviewed the female driver who was Brubaker’s girlfriend. She gave consent for police to search her phone.
Under Brubaker’s Facebook account, Fye observed messages about selling methamphetamine, his amounts and the prices.
His girlfriend told officers that Brubaker had been involved with the sale of methamphetamine across Pennsylvania. She listed addresses that he stops at to sell the drug on his way from Lancaster.
She also said that Brubaker owes her money and has been giving her money from his recent drug sales. That night she said she, Irwin and Brubaker went to Lawrence Park Village, Brubaker gave Irwin methamphetamine and the two men went into an apartment.
Irwin sold the drug and was expecting money as payment but was given Xanax pills. She said that Irwin and Brubaker planned to split the pills. The township officers confirmed observing her vehicle at Lawrence Park Village earlier that night.
Irwin was located with 50 pills that were identified as Xanax. He also had one buprenorphine and three Clonazepam pills. A total of $2,413 was seized from the vehicle, police said.
