Most charges against man held for court
The majority of charges filed against a Uniontown man accused of driving a vehicle with his 9-year-old daughter with him while marijuana was stashed inside were held for court. Redstone police Chief Norman L. Howard said Billy Deonte James, 29, of 59 E. Kerr St. was charged with possession of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, endangering the welfare of children, providing false identification to law enforcement, disorderly conduct and three traffic violations. The charges were filed with Magisterial District Judge Michael Defino, police said.
During a preliminary hearing Monday, prosecutors withdrew the charges of possession with intent to deliver and endangering the welfare of children. Defino then held the remainder of the charges against James for Fayette County Court.
Howard said the charges were filed after he spotted James traveling on Redstone Way March 2 with a burned-out headlight and no registration sticker, and he initiated a traffic stop.
Howard said he could smell marijuana as he approached James’ vehicle, and said that James did not respond to repeated requests for identification, only telling Howard that his name was “Karl Council.”
After consenting to a search of his vehicle, Howard found James’ wallet inside the vehicle revealing his true identity, as well as a cottage cheese container with five plastic bags of marijuana inside.
Howard took James into custody and found more than $800 in cash in his pockets.
Howard said James’ daughter was released to the care of an uncle and his vehicle was turned over to the Fayette County Drug Task Force.
This is not James’ first run-in with police.
In 2008, Uniontown police charged James with multiple drug charges following a sting by the Fayette County Drug Task Force at his home.
Fayette County Judge Steve P. Leskinen sentenced James to one year of intermediate punishment last year.
In 2006, James was charged as a co-conspirator in two armed robberies in Uniontown.
Those charges were eventually withdrawn.