SHENANDOAH — A Unityville man was jailed after a vehicle stop by Mahanoy Township police found him with drugs and a large amount of cash.
Joseph J. Sanders, 53, of 8205 Moreland Baptist Road, was arraigned on charges of felony possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance and misdemeanor offenses of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post 10 percent of $50,000 bail.
Sanders was charged by township police Chief Brandon Alexander who pulled over the Mini Cooper he was driving on Ellen Gowen Road about 11 p.m. Wednesday.
Alexander said he was on patrol when he saw the car driving at a slow rate with the driver appearing to be lost.
Due to recent illegal activity in the area, Alexander said he stopped the vehicle and asked Sanders if he was OK. During the stop, the chief said Sanders appeared to be nervous, adding that two knives could be seen on the floor of the car.
Sanders was asked to exit the vehicle and during a search for weapons, Alexander said he found a knife in the man’s pocket and also an Altoids tin container that had a rolled up marijuana cigarette and three burnt marijuana cigarettes inside.
Sanders also had a clear plastic bag that had what later tested positive for marijuana along with $5,410 in cash.
Alexander said he was given consent by Sanders to search his car, with Shenandoah police Patrolman Travis Bowman as a witness. Inside the vehicle, Alexander said there were three small plastic baggies containing a crystal substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Sanders will now have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.