Ky. man arrested on drug charges
A Kentucky man with ties to Pennsylvania is in jail on a $250,000 bond after he was allegedly found in possession of 4 pounds of marijuana following an incident in Connellsville. Jose Sanchez Leon, 43, of Hartford, Ky., was charged Friday with possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance as a result of investigations conducted by the Fayette County Drug Task Force, in cooperation with the Connellsville Police Department.
The task force, under the direction of Fayette County District Attorney Jack Heneks, is comprised of officers from several local police departments in Fayette County. Supervised by Assistant District Attorney Mark Brooks, the county’s chief drug prosecutor, the task force is responsible for investigating drug violations throughout the county and following through with the prosecution of each violation.
Task force Detective Ryan Reese said Friday’s arrest occurred after officers received a tip that Leon would be traveling through Connellsville and would be “transporting a large amount of marijuana.”
Reese said a marked police unit pulled Leon’s vehicle over and that task force Detective Patrick Ruff located 2 pounds of marijuana in the car.
Leon also gave police permission to search a Connellsville apartment he was staying in and officers located another 2 pounds of marijuana belonging to Leon inside the residence.
Ruff filed the multiple drug charges against Leon. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Ronald J. Haggerty Jr.
Two other Connellsville men also face drug charges as a result of earlier investigations conducted by the task force during June.
Reese said multiple charges are pending against a 30-year-old man and a 21-year-old man, both of Connellsville, after they were allegedly found in possession of marijuana.
On June 6, the task force served a search warrant, obtained by Ruff, at the Fourth Street home of the 30-year-old man and located 6 ounces of marijuana and various pills inside the residence.
Acting on leads from the arrest, task force Detective Tom Patton later confiscated 6 ounces of marijuana from the 21-year-old man at a car wash in Bullskin Township and also located 2 pounds of marijuana in the man’s home.
Reese said the 21-year-old man had allegedly been supplying marijuana to the 30-year-old man. Both names have been withheld pending formalization of charges.
Reese said both men face charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver. The 21-year-old man also faces a single count of delivery of a controlled, which is a felony.