Drug charges against suspect headed to court
A Uniontown resident and former standout linebacker with the West Virginia University Mountaineers will have his day in court for a charge of possession with intent to deliver drugs. On Feb. 15, Fayette County District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon refiled the charge of possession with intent to deliver cocaine against Cleo Kevin “Boo” McLee, 24, of 193 Coolspring St. – just three days after it was dropped in district court.
On Tuesday, Magisterial District Judge Michael Rubish held the charge to Fayette County Court, where McLee is already facing other charges stemming from a traffic stop in Uniontown in October.
McLee waived charges of possession of cocaine and marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia as well as several traffic violations during a preliminary hearing held Feb. 12 before Magisterial District Judge Robert Breakiron.
At that time, Assistant District Attorney Jack R. Heneks Jr. dropped the charge of possession with intent to deliver cocaine against McLee after an expert witness was not available for testimony.
All of the charges were originally filed after state police pulled McLee’s vehicle over near Coolspring Street in Uniontown after McLee allegedly failed to signal a turn.
During the stop, police said, they found more than $500 in his front pants pocket, two bags of marijuana and a plastic bag containing cocaine in another pocket.
Trooper Robert McGarvey testified Tuesday that McLee was found with a plastic bag containing 2.8 grams of cocaine, which has a street value of about $300. McGarvey told Assistant District Attorney Peter U. Hook that the amount of cocaine – coupled with two small bags of marijuana, the large amount of cash and the absence of a smoking device -led him to believe that McLee intended to sell the drugs.
After a stellar football career at Uniontown Area High School, McLee played four years with the Mountaineers.
During that time, McLee racked up more than 200 tackles and led the team in tackles in the Gator Bowl as a sophomore in 2004, earned a spot on ESPN’s All-Conference Team in 2005 and was selected to the All-Big East team in 2006.
McLee signed with the St. Louis Rams after going undrafted in the 2007 NFL draft, but he left the team’s training camp after only a few days.
McLee signed a one-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League.