Woman accused by Lower Burrell police of selling crack ordered to stand trial

A woman accused of selling drugs after authorities said she let a Lower Burrell officer search her vehicle when she was pulled over has been ordered to stand trial in Westmoreland County Court.

Michelle Lynn Dzugan, 45, of the 1500 block of Horne Boulevard in Arnold was charged Nov. 13 with a felony count of possession of drugs with the intent to deliver, and counts of drug and paraphernalia possession. She also was issued two traffic citations.

She waived her right to a preliminary hearing on Dec. 5 before District Judge Cheryl Peck Yakopec, who ordered her to stand trial on the charges. Formal arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 17.

Police said Dzugan was stopped for traffic violations on Leechburg Road near Morgan Street and taken into custody on an arrest warrant issued by the Westmoreland County Sheriff’s Office.

She offered to let police search her SUV after they asked if she had anything illegal inside, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said they found crumbs of crack cocaine on the driver’s seat and 11 crack pipes in the vehicle. She also had three small containers with 1 gram of crack in each and a baggie with 8 grams of crack in her bra, police said.

Dzugan’s arrest record includes convictions for felony escape, drug possession and resisting arrest in 2019; misdemeanor drug charges in 2017; and access device fraud in 2015, according to court records.