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HOLLIDAYSBURG -- The city man arrested for transporting cocaine from Philadelphia to Blair County in his shoe was sentenced to 27 months to five years' incarceration in a state correctional institution after pleading guilty to several felony counts across two cases.
Kendall Michael Patterson, 35, appeared before Judge Jackie Atherton Bernard on Thursday and pleaded guilty to two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and two misdemeanor counts each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
In addition to the state prison sentence, Bernard ordered Patterson, who appeared alongside assistant public defender Rachel McCarthy, to pay $176 to the state police crime lab in Greensburg, pay $725 in fines, undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation, complete a cognitive behavioral therapy course and serve five years' concurrent probation upon his release. He received credit for time served since his arrest on July 2.
The charges were filed against Patterson after Altoona police became aware of his making routine late-night trips to Philadelphia before returning to the area. Patterson had previously been found with about 10 grams of cocaine hidden in his shoe during a traffic stop, officers reported.
Officers performed another traffic stop on Patterson in the early morning hours of July 2 after catching him driving on a suspended license. Patterson had just returned to the area from Philadelphia, where he had arrived about 9 p.m. and remained for about 90 minutes, the police report states.
Officers reported a strong odor of marijuana emanating from within Patterson's vehicle. Patterson was ordered out of the vehicle and officers deployed K-9 Officer Blue to perform an open air sniff test on the vehicle. Blue alerted officers to the presence of controlled substances by the front passenger side door, the report states.
In speaking with police, Patterson told officers he had "personal use" cocaine hidden in his shoe. After taking Patterson into custody, officers retrieved a zip-top baggie from Patterson's shoe that contained about 16 grams of cocaine. A search of the vehicle did not yield additional controlled substances, the report states.
Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor-Musselman is at 814-946-7458.