State police charge man with felony heroin possession after South Buffalo traffic stop

State police charged a Tioga County man with felony drug possession after he was pulled over in South Buffalo Township for driving erratically.

John D. Reed, 65, of Duncan Township, was charged with a felony count of possession with the intent to deliver drugs. He also faces two misdemeanor drug charges along with driving under the influence and a pair of traffic citations.

Reed was taken to the Armstrong County Jail after failing to post a $25,000 cash bond. He faces a preliminary hearing before District Judge J. Gary DeComo on Tuesday, Feb.15.

A trooper from the Kittanning station was on patrol in an unmarked cruiser at about 12:20 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 7 when a Chevy Equinox began weaving in and out of its lane, according to Reed’s arrest papers.

As the trooper followed the SUV, its speed dropped from 70 mph to 55 mph in a posted 65 mph zone, police said.

When the vehicle’s ownership was checked, the trooper learned that the husband of the woman to whom it was registered was driving the SUV with a suspended license, the complaint said.

The trooper wrote in the complaint that Reed appeared to be under the influence and that he declined to allow the vehicle to be searched, the complaint said.

Investigators said a police dog dispatched to the scene indicated there were drugs in the vehicle, which was towed to the state police station in East Franklin when Reed was taken into custody.

After obtaining a warrant, the SUV was searched and a bag was found in the center console with 266 stamp bags of suspected heroin along with $500 in cash, according to Reed’s arrest papers.