CLEARFIELD – A man has been accused of selling and delivering drugs when he resided at a Clearfield Borough apartment.
Jerome Darnell Ward, 32, a current state prison inmate, has been charged by Officer Mitchell Klender of the Clearfield Borough police with dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, F1; criminal use of communication facility, F3; manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F, two counts; intentional possession of a controlled substance, M, three counts; marijuana/small amount personal use, M; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
On Wednesday Ward waived his right to a preliminary hearing during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Dec. 11, 2017, Agent Keith Summerson of Pennsylvania State Parole advised police he would be attempting to make contact with a parolee, Ward, at a North Fourth Street address in Clearfield Borough. He had received information that Ward was selling drugs.
At approximately 1:35 p.m., borough officers went to the area of the apartment. Summerson and other parole agents went inside. Klender later went in and saw Ward seated; he was handcuffed behind his back.
Summerson reported to Klender that they had located a lockbox containing drugs and other items in a bedroom. Inside the open box, Klender saw a bag containing a green leafy substance and the other items.
He also saw a bag containing smaller bags sitting on the television stand in the same room. Agents discontinued their search after locating these items.
Klender received permission from Ward to resume searching the apartment. Photographs were taken of the rooms and then each item in its location before it was collected and packaged as evidence.
In the living room, Klender observed a black grinder and it contained a green leafy substance, which emitted the odor of raw marijuana. He also observed a video camera on the lower, right corner of the front door, and it was pointing out of the apartment.
Inside the bathroom, Klender located a purse on the toilet, which contained several new and used syringes, spoons, cue tips and empty stamp bags.
Inside the bedroom, a state inmate card belonging to “Jerome Ward” was collected from the floor. The search yielded a prescription bottle containing a white oval pill that was next to a small plastic bag and a cut straw on the night stand.
On the TV stand, a bag contained 21 smaller marked bags of a white crystalized substance, which was suspected methamphetamine; there was a small bundle of stamp bags on the floor; a multi-colored glass pipe was found on the dresser and it contained a partially burnt green leafy substance, which emitted the odor of burnt marijuana; and a $100 bill and 17 $1 bills were found in the top dresser drawer.
Klender observed a display screen on the dresser, which was linked to the video camera at the front door. It showed live feed video. Officers also collected a cellular phone that was on the kitchen bar.
Further search of the lockbox yielded a plastic bag with four stamp bags containing a tan-colored powder; a black scale pan with a white powder residue; a bag containing several small empty bags with black clovers printed on them; five more stamp bags containing a tan-colored powder; and one small black clover bag containing a white crystalized substance that was suspected methamphetamine.
Inside a pencil box within the lockbox, officers located an electronic scale; tweezers; a small pair of scissors; two scale pans, including one with a powder residue; two 100-gram scale weights; two bags of suspected marijuana; one small bag containing suspected methamphetamine; a bag containing six clear capsules containing a fine white powder; and a small jar containing a white powder residue.
The lockbox also contained a Charmin wet wipes box and inside officers located several small empty bags; a digital scale with a white powder residue; and a small bag with a black-colored eight ball logo with a round green pill, which was determined to be Clonazepam.
On Jan. 4 Klender executed a search warrant on the cell phone. It was found that Ward was allegedly using it to arrange the sale and delivery of drugs. He also observed photographs of what appeared to be drugs and firearms.
On Jan. 26, officers tested one of the marked bags of the white crystalized substance. It returned positive results for methamphetamine. Officers packaged the suspected drugs and transferred them to the Erie Crime Lab for analysis.