JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – A Reynoldsville man who was busted with three ounces of marijuana and an illegal gun during a traffic stop on State Route 36 waived his hearing in court on Thursday.
Court documents indicate the following charges against 20-year-old Brandon Lee Eppley were waived for court on Thursday, July 2:
– Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
– Possession of Controlled Substance, Misdemeanor
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
– DUI: Controlled Substance – Schedule 1 – 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– DUI: Controlled Substance – Impaired Ability – 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
– Make Repairs/Sell/Etc Offensive Weapon, Misdemeanor 1
– Disregard Traffic Lane (Single), Summary (two counts)
– Prohibiting text-based communications, Summary
– Careless Driving, Summary
– Fail to use safety belt – driver and front seat occupant, Summary
The charges have been transferred to the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas.
Eppley remains free on $5,000.00 monetary bail.
The preliminary hearing was originally scheduled for May 21; however, it was continued until July 2.
The charges stem from a traffic stop on Route 36 in Eldred Township in early May.
Details of the case:
According to a criminal complaint, around 12:42 p.m. on May 12, Trooper Smith, of the Marienville-based State Police, initiated a traffic stop on a tan Jeep on State Route 36 in Eldred Township, Jefferson County, after observing the driver was holding a cell phone in front of his face while driving and the vehicle was wavering and traveling over the lines marking the roadway.
During the traffic stop, Trooper Smith detected a strong odor of both raw and burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle.
According to the complaint, the driver, identified as Brandon Lee Eppley, admitted to texting while driving, and admitted to smoking marijuana approximately two hours earlier. He also handed over a baggie of suspected marijuana from the center console of the vehicle.
A probable cause search of the vehicle then found approximately three ounces of marijuana, as well as approximately 19 items of drug paraphernalia, the complaint states.
Police also found a concealed black Stevens model 320 sawed off shotgun with an altered barrel measured at 17 inches, which is prohibited by law, hidden in the rear of the vehicle, according to the complaint.
Eppley was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock on May 12.
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