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From Mirror staff reports
A Johnstown man is behind bars in Bedford County after a traffic stop turned up drugs and cash.
According to court documents, a driver called state police at 11:39 p.m. Tuesday after observing a car swerve all over the road while traveling east on Quaker Valley Road near the Peggy Westover curve. The caller stayed behind the car and on the line with police as they neared Fish Hatchery Road, where troopers caught up with the vehicle, followed it and conducted a traffic stop after seeing the car weave between lane designators and its fog light was not functioning.
The driver of the car, identified as Christopher Jones, 39, was asked to exit the vehicle after police detected a strong odor of marijuana.
Jones failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody. During a search of his person, police located a pill bottle containing Oxycodone and ecstasy, along with clear bags of a white rock substance. In addition, police found $4,825.
Jones refused to allow police to search his vehicle and it was towed from the scene until a search warrant could be obtained.
After being transported to UPMC Bedford, Jones refused to sign a form indicating police read him the O'Connell and Implied Consent Warnings. He also refused a blood draw, due to religious reasons, court documents state.
Police said Jones' license was suspended in 2022.
Jones was arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Kevin R. Diehl on a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver, along with misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and misbranding a controlled substance, and summary traffic violations.
Unable to post $200,000 bail, he was remanded to the Bedford County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is set for April 3 in Bedford County Central Court.