CLEARFIELD – A Westover man found passed out in a running vehicle pleaded guilty to firearms not to be carried without a license and driving under the influence charges during sentencing court Monday.
Nevin Edward Kruise, 34, who also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, was sentenced by President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman to 30 months to five years in state prison.
The criminal complaint details how police were called to check on a man whose head was resting on his chest in a vehicle in a Clearfield Borough parking lot. In the truck, they could see a pistol on the center console in plain view.
After an officer knocked on the window, the man, later identified as Kruise, woke up, put down his window and shut off the truck. At their request, he stepped out of the vehicle.
One of the officers took custody of the pistol, which had a magazine in it and a round in the chamber. It was registered to a relative of Kruise’s.
Kruise told them he was in town to work and slept in his truck. When he reached for his driver’s license in the truck, the officers could see a broken glass pipe in the passenger door. He explained that he found the gun under the seat after cleaning out the truck the previous night.
Because police believed he was under the influence, they had him complete field sobriety tests, which further indicted he was impaired.
While he was taken to the hospital for a blood test, Kruise admitted he would be positive for methamphetamine, buprenorphine, subutex and marijuana.
Officers found multiple glass smoking devices, 7.5 grams of methamphetamine, brass knuckles and lighters in the vehicle, according to the report.
In a second case, he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia for which he was asked to pay fines and costs.