Brandy Jo Etchison, 46, and Marco Demetrius Martin, 37, were arraigned Saturday by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on two felony counts each of possession with intent to deliver and conspiracy to commit possession with intent to deliver, a single felony count of criminal use of a communication facility, single misdemeanor counts of tampering with evidence, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Etchison was also charged with a misdemeanor count of making a false identification to law enforcement, while Martin was charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault.

An investigation into Martin began in April, when two confidential informants told Tyrone and state police officers they could purchase drugs from Martin. The informants then performed six controlled purchases of methamphetamine and cocaine from Martin for the officers while they conducted surveillance on him, according to a post on the Altoona police department’s Facebook page.

Officers learned on May 30 that Martin was traveling back to Altoona from Philadelphia. They conducted surveillance in the downtown area, where Martin would be meeting a second individual for a ride. Martin was subsequently located and observed entering a vehicle near 11th Avenue and 12th Street, the post stated.

Etchison

Altoona police conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle in the area of 12th Street and 13th Avenue. When they made contact with the vehicle driver, she identified herself as Brandy Carter, but was later determined to be Brandy Etchison. Officers then deployed K-9 Officer Blue to conduct an open-air sniff of the vehicle, the post states.

Blue alerted officers to the presence of controlled substances near the front passenger door, where Martin was seated. While Etchison and Martin were being detained, Martin told police he had a digital scale in his pocket for measuring out marijuana, the post states.

During his transportation to the Altoona Police Department, Martin took cocaine hidden in his underwear and tried to destroy it. When Altoona police removed Martin from their cruiser, Martin began discarding cocaine in their direction, hitting two of the officers in the face with cocaine, the report states.

Etchison was also found to be concealing cocaine inside her person while being strip searched. Officers ultimately recovered about 44 grams of cocaine from the vehicle and Etchison’s person. A search warrant executed on Etchison’s vehicle also yielded four cellphones, a digital scale and additional drug paraphernalia, the post states.

Etchison and Martin were remanded to the Blair County Prison in lieu of their $400,000 and $600,000 bails, respectively. They are scheduled for preliminary hearings June 10 in front of Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones.

Altoona police allegedly recovered drugs and drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop and subsequent search of a vehicle. Brandy Jo Etchison and Marco Demetrius Martin were taken into custody. Courtesy photo