Two Schuylkill County men are facing felony drug charges following separate investigations by police in Pottsville.
Richard Bealer, 44, and Larry Davis Jr., 46, both of Pottsville, were arraigned late last week before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.
Bealer is charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, alongside multiple misdemeanor possession charges, following an April 14 incident. Davis faces two felony counts of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver stemming from a multi-week drug task force investigation in April and May. Both were remanded to Schuylkill County Prison following their arraignments.
The investigation into Bealer began shortly before 1:30 p.m. on April 14 when police were dispatched to a reported breaking-and-entering in progress at 401 N. 9th St.. As they arrived at the scene, police say they observed a man they knew to be looking out from the rear driver’s side of a parked red vehicle.
According to police, four individuals were inside the vehicle, with Bealer identified as the middle rear seat passenger. Police ordered Bealer to exit the vehicle and performed a pat-down search for weapons. During the search, police allege they felt a suspected baggie containing drugs in his front pocket and discovered a makeshift weapon in his waistband.
A subsequent search of Bealer revealed a digital scale, a Crown Royal bag with packaging material, a large bag of suspected methamphetamine, and a Ziploc-style baggie containing a white powdery substance, police say. Police also allege Bealer pulled two small bags of suspected methamphetamine from his shoe, and a needle was recovered from beneath the front driver’s seat. Police noted there was no apparent connection between the vehicle occupants and the reported burglary.
Bealer was transported to City Hall, where police say he signed a Miranda waiver and a consent form allowing police to search his phone and photograph his text messages. Police say that Bealer admitted to selling both methamphetamines and fentanyl for the past eight months. Bealer’s bail was set at $15,000.
In a separate case, police filed charges against Davis following a series of controlled drug purchases.
According to police, an informant told them that between April 14-17, they routinely purchased methamphetamine from a subject known as “Love,” who used a New York phone number. Police contacted the New York Police Department, which provided body-worn camera screenshots and a booking photograph identifying “Love” as Davis. The informant positively identified Davis from the photograph, police say.
Police then utilized the informant to conduct monitored operations in the city’s First Ward. During the first operation, conducted between April 19-21, police say they provided the informant with an undisclosed amount of money and observed the informant meet with Davis. Police recovered an amount of methamphetamine from the informant that field-tested positive.
A second operation took place between May 2-5, 2026. Police state they observed Davis leave his residence and walk toward the meeting location, where the informant purchased a crystal-like substance that later field-tested positive for methamphetamine. Davis is being held on two separate $50,000 monetary bail orders.
Both defendants are scheduled for preliminary hearings before Reiley on June 15.
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