Suspected Bags of Marijuana Seized in Manor Township Police Stop
Manor Township Police Officer Steven Cippel processes multiple bags of marijuana in his report.
by Jonathan Weaver
Manor Township Police seized a large amount of marijuana after pursuing a reckless driver Friday evening.
Officers Steven Cippel and Frank Pitzer were initially dispatched to the call shortly after 8:30PM.
“At 8:31PM, we got a call for a possible DUI driver on Smeltzers Flats Road. There was a man following this vehicle (that said) this car was swerving all over the road (and) he was concerned that this person was intoxicated or under the influence of something else,” Officer Cippel said.
Officers caught up with the green Honda CRV on Lasher Road near Kittanning Care Center and were able to stop the vehicle since State police troopers did not have a vehicle in the area to assist.
Police found four large plastic bags and a small bag totaling about seven pounds worth of marijuana in the backseat of the car driven by Zachary Revay, 24 of Chestnut Street in Kittanning.
Officer Pitzer estimated street value of about $15,000 for the substance.
Revay was taken to the State Police barracks in Kittanning to be evaluated by a Drug Recognition Expert.
“From the smell of the vehicle, what we found and Mr. Revay had made some comments that he was under the influence, that made our determinations a little easier. Looking at his eyes, that smell (allowed us to) take him into custody.”
Revay later declined to give a blood sample at ACMH Hospital in East Franklin Township
Revay was video-arraigned at the Armstrong County Jail by District Magisterial Judge James Andring and jailed on $25,000 bail.
Revay is charged with felony possession with intent to manufacture or deliver drugs, misdemeanor driving under the influence and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance.
Officer Cippel said Revay was not “forthcoming” regarding the marijuana and police are investigating Revay’s intentions.
“This is way over what a personal user would use. In the three years that I’ve been a police officer, I’ve never seen any mass of drug this much in mass quantity,” Officer Cippel said. “You never know what you’re going to find.”
The suspected substance will next be tested and later destroyed at the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab in Greensburg.
Officers were optimistic that they were able to get more drugs off the streets of central-Armstrong County.
Local News | jweaver February 23, 2016
Loading ...
By ktown_kid, February 23, 2016 @ 5:20 AM
Kudos to the officers!!
By sean spring, February 23, 2016 @ 8:30 AM
Even though I’m all for legalization of cannabis, this person was an idiot. Even states(and our nations capitol) where cannabis is legal, you cannot drive around stoned with 7 pounds of cannabis in your car. You’re going to jail in those states too. This whole issue of cannabis in our country contradicts itself. We have a huge support for medicinal cannabis, but our wonderful government has it labeled as a schedule 1 substance, meaning high addiction and no medical value. As I watched children with epilepsy THRIVE from medicinal cannabis oil and have a quality life that no pharmaceutical could ever accomplish, the parents are technically criminals. Makes me SICK!
By omgicantbelieveit, February 24, 2016 @ 10:49 AM
I couldn’t agree more Sean. I support full legalization but idiots like this don’t help. It makes the responsible users look bad.