CLEARFIELD – A bench warrant was issued for a local man after he failed to appear for his preliminary hearing in a Clearfield County drug case.
Lowell T. Way, 57, of Frenchville is charged by Rockview State Police with felony manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver.
He’s also charged with misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance (three counts) and use/possession of drug paraphernalia (five counts), plus two summaries.
A preliminary hearing was held Wednesday during centralized court, and all charges were sent to the county court of common pleas for further disposition.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, state police were traveling along the Kylertown – Drifting Highway near Interstate 80 in Cooper Township around 2 a.m. July 16.
A red Ford truck was also observed traveling at 55 miles per hour in a marked 45-mph zone with an invalid registration plate, causing troopers to conduct a traffic stop.
After a trooper approached the vehicle, he positively identified Way as the driver and reportedly detected the odor of marijuana emitting from inside.
Way said he had just purchased the vehicle and hadn’t yet affixed the new registration plate. He exited the vehicle at the direction of troopers.
When asked if he had anything illegal, Way said “no” but did admit ownership and responsibility of the vehicle’s contents before granting consent for state police to conduct a search.
At this point, Way asked if he could smoke a cigarette first and gave a trooper consent to retrieve his cigarettes from the center console.
But when the trooper opened the pack, he reportedly discovered a plastic bag containing methamphetamine.
A subsequent search allegedly turned up 340 stamp bags of heroin; a large quantity of meth; a bag of psychedelic mushrooms; two digital scales; aluminum foil; and large sum of U.S. Currency.
Way was taken into custody and during transport to PSP Clearfield, he admitted to possessing around 10 bricks of heroin and a quarter-pound of meth.
At the station, state police determined Way had possessed 340 stamp bags of heroin; 150 grams of meth; 15 grams of psychedelic mushrooms; and over $5,200, according to the affidavit.
