Williams

A Duncansville man behind bars after a traffic stop in late March turned up drugs, guns and cash is facing additional charges in three more cases.

Robert Symere Williams, 31, was arraigned Monday by Magisterial District Judge Matthew Dunio. Collectively, he faces four felony counts of possession with intent to deliver, three felony counts of criminal use of a communication facility and two felony counts of selling an uncontrolled substance represented as a controlled substance, as well as four misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance.

His bail in each case was set at $100,000, for a total of $300,000. Bail in his previous case was set at $200,000. In lieu of the $500,000 total bail, Williams remains in the Blair County Prison.

The charges were filed following a monthslong investigation by the state Office of the Attorney General, Altoona Police Department, State College Borough Police Department and Centre County Drug Task Force. On Nov. 1, 2023, Office of the Attorney General and Altoona Police Department officers transported a confidential informant to Walmart with $400 in pre-recorded drug task force funds to conduct a controlled purchase of heroin and fentanyl, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

The informant entered the store and met with Williams, who sold them a plastic bag of drugs for $400. The suspected drugs were sent to the state police crime lab in Greensburg for further testing and analysis, court documents state.

On Dec. 6, 2023, agents and officers were contacted by a State College Borough Police detective to assist with a controlled purchase from Williams. Officers and an informant met with the Centre County Drug Task Force about 1 p.m. The informant then received a call from Williams, during which they made arrangements to meet at Dick’s Sporting Goods with $500, the police report states.

A short time later, the confidential informant was again contacted by Williams, who said if the informant spent another $150, they could buy a “whole squirrel” of “food” from Williams. The informant agreed and Williams confirmed the price of $650. While getting ready to leave the secure location, the informant received a text message from Williams saying that for $700, the informant could buy an “onion” from him, to which the informant agreed, the report states.

Once at Dick’s Sporting Goods, the confidential informant met with Williams in the shoe department. Officers watched Williams place a white plastic bag in a shoe and hand it to the informant. The informant took the shoe, dropped the plastic bag on the floor, picked up the bag and returned the shoe to Williams. Williams then placed the shoe back on the shelf, according to the affidavit.

Following the buy, the confidential informant returned to the officers’ vehicle and gave them the plastic bag containing suspected heroin.

Officers opened the bag of suspected heroin and found it contained five individually wrapped smaller bags of suspected heroin and fentanyl weighing about one gram each. A lab report dated March 11, 2024, stated no controlled substances were found in the items. Officers noted the substances bought from Williams were marketed as heroin/fentanyl and packaged in a similar manner as other heroin/fentanyl that has been purchased by police in the area.

On Nov. 14, 2023, Altoona Police Department officers were contacted by a Centre County Drug Task Force detective regarding a confidential informant who could buy heroin from Williams in Blair County. Officers and the informant arrived at a secure location, where the confidential informant contacted Williams. They arranged to meet at Walmart, where the informant would buy $500 worth of heroin and fentanyl from Williams, the report states.

Once at Walmart, the informant met with Williams in the electronics department, before returning to the officers’ vehicle and giving them the purchased drugs. Officers found there to be about 101 packets of suspected heroin and about 5.2 grams of suspected crack cocaine. A lab report showed there were no controlled substances in the items submitted for testing, court documents state.

Williams was first taken into custody on March 27 by Altoona police on an outstanding felony arrest warrant. Police had compiled a search warrant for Williams’ Duncansville home and found two Glock magazines; a box of empty wax packets; multi-colored rubber bands; smartphone; small bag containing nine individually packaged suboxone strips; four wax packets stamped “Chucky”; a Google phone; a box full of stacks of money totaling $2,750; empty blue wax packets and a bag of raw heroin; 10 firearms; firearm accessories, ammunition and magazines; unused blue wax packets and a box of suspected fentanyl, among other paraphernalia.

In Williams’ vehicle, officers found a cellphone and $3,375 in cash, court documents show.

Police said a criminal history check on Williams shows he is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a guilty plea to robbery in 2018.

Williams is scheduled for four preliminary hearings in front of Dunio on April 17.