A Schuylkill County man faces drug charges after police said they found fentanyl and methamphetamine in his pocket during a jaywalking stop.
John Speidel, 34, of Frackville, was charged Sept. 8 with misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as a summary offense of jaywalking.
According to police, an officer on routine patrol observed Speidel walking across E. Norwegian St. near N. George St. in Pottsville just before 11 p.m. on March 25. Speidel allegedly walked out from an area of known high drug activity and traveled in the street for about 30 yards before turning onto N. George St.
An officer got out of his vehicle and informed Speidel that he had committed a traffic infraction by jaywalking. Speidel was unsteady on his feet, leaning against a telephone pole for balance, and that his answers to questions were slow and broken.
When questioned about where he was coming from, Speidel told police he had just left “a friend’s house,” but could not provide a last name or exact address for the friend, according to police. Speidel said he travels from Frackville to Pottsville about twice a week and that his mother was on her way to pick him up.
When asked when he last used drugs, Speidel told police “earlier today,” according to police. Speidel then told officers he had a small amount of meth in his pocket, police said.
Police searched Speidel’s right front sweatpants pocket and found two white and green glassine packets containing a powder substance, four pieces of foil with burnt residue, four torn white and green glassine packets, and a plastic smoking device with burnt residue. Speidel reportedly told police the powder in the glassine packets was fentanyl.
Police released Speidel from custody that night while the seized items were brought to City Hall, logged as evidence, and sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Harrisburg Regional Laboratory for testing.
Laboratory results returned on Aug. 26 showed that 0.44 grams of powder in the glassine packets tested positive for fentanyl, police said. A bag containing burnt foil and 0.015 grams of a crystal substance found on the foil tested positive for methamphetamine.
Speidel is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 12 before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley.
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