CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man has been charged after police found bags of drugs and associated paraphernalia hidden in an oven.
Bryan Scott Oswalt, 34, has been charged by Officer Kyle Bish of the Lawrence Township police with one felony count of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and one misdemeanor count each of intentional possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
Oswalt waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail. His bail was modified from $50,000 monetary to unsecured.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, at approximately 11:37 a.m. Jan. 15, police were dispatched to a reported verbal disturbance between staff and an unidentified male at the Super 8 Motel. On-scene, police identified the male as Oswalt and learned he’d become argumentative after being asked to leave.
Oswalt told police he checked in at 1 a.m. and paid for a room for one evening; later in the morning, he was asked to leave. Motel staff said Oswalt was irate and became increasingly aggressive, which made them uncomfortable.
Oswalt, along with the two people with him, was eventually picked up and left in a Chevrolet sedan. A short time later at 12:03 p.m., police were called back to the motel, where cleaning staff had found a handgun in Oswalt’s room.
Before officers’ arrival, Oswalt returned to retrieve the firearm and presented a conceal carry permit to the front desk staff. The staff gave the handgun back to Oswalt and he left.
Oswalt wasn’t supposed to be at the motel and an attempt was made to locate the vehicle he was in, in order to speak with him about the firearm, police said.
At approximately 12:39 p.m., police located the vehicle at the Edgewood Apartment Complex. When they looked through the driver’s side window, a glass jar containing a small amount of suspected marijuana was observed on the seat.
When police made contact with Oswalt at the door, there was an odor of burnt marijuana; he was also agitated and argumentative. Police requested to see his conceal carry permit and the handgun to confirm both were legal.
Oswalt told officers he had the firearm in a backpack inside and he “stashed” it in the oven prior to their arrival. Police were given consent to go inside to retrieve it; once inside, several occupants were asked to remain in the living area until the firearm was recovered for safety purposes.
Police went to the oven and found a backpack and two smaller bags. The tenant – when asked – said the bags belonged to Oswalt and she wanted them removed from her residence. Witnesses told police that Oswalt had drugs and paraphernalia in the bags he had hidden in the oven.
When officers attempted to locate the handgun, they allegedly discovered three pipes containing burnt residue of marijuana; a metal container of eight, individually bagged amounts of methamphetamine; a 9mm pistol; and one notebook with a ledger of drug sales.