31-Year-Old Man Arrested on Meth Charges in Brookville

BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) – A 31-year-old man is in jail after authorities found methamphetamine and related drug paraphernalia in an apartment in the Borough of Brookville.

According to court documents, Brookville Borough Police arrested 31-year-old Eric Paul Lathrop, of New York, following a search of an apartment located on Jefferson Street in Brookville.

According to a criminal complaint, around 6:41 p.m. on December 6, Officer Turnbull, of the Brookville Borough Police Department, was informed there were multiple hypodermic needles visible inside a trash bag in a Jefferson Street apartment.

The criminal complaint states that a known, 17-year-old female juvenile and Eric Paul Lathrop were in the Jefferson Street apartment when Officer Turnbull arrived. Lathrop invited Officer Turnbull in, and at this time, an open blue and clear bag of hypodermic syringes and two small pills that appeared to be Xanax were observed. It was learned that Lathrop had been staying at the apartment for the last three days.

The criminal complaint indicates Officer Turnbull asked the known female juvenile and Lathrop to exit the apartment. The female attempted to take objects from her purse, but she was told to leave the purse behind.

Officer Turnbull notified Officer Stormer, of the Brookville Borough Police Department, to secure the apartment while a search warrant was obtained. While Officer Stormer was at the apartment, county control contacted Officer Turnbull to return to the apartment, as the leaseholder and Lathrop “were there and angrily speaking with Officer Stormer,” the complaint continues.

When Officer Turnbull notified the leaseholder that a search warrant was being obtained, the leaseholder signed a “Consent to Search” form, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, once inside the apartment, Officer Turnbull located the following items:

• nine unopened bags of syringes totaling 90 needles
• six spoons with residue
• three open bags of syringes
• five uncapped syringes
• six used capped syringes
• three baggies full of small cotton balls
• two Xanax pills (admitted to by leaseholder)
• one stamp bag
• two large empty baggies with powdery residue
• two small baggies with residue
• one large bag with crystal substance and tested positive for methamphetamine – weighing .56 grams
• social security card (belonging to another individual)

The methamphetamine baggie was located in a closed closet on the shelf next to an uncapped used needle. Underneath the methamphetamine was Lathrop’s social security card and a non-traffic citation for retail theft, the complaint indicates.

Based on the investigation, Officer Turnbull requested an arrest warrant be issued for Lathrop.

He was arraigned at 2:41 p.m. on December 8 in front of Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak.

He faces the following charges:

• Intentional Possession Controlled Substance By Person Not Registered, Misdemeanor
• Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor, (three counts)

Unable to post $75,000.00 monetary bail, he was confined to the Jefferson County Jail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on January 12, 2016, with Judge Bazylak presiding.