MAHANOY CITY — A Shenandoah man was jailed after being arrested by Mahanoy City police on drug charges early Saturday morning.
Charles J. Koncsler, 33, of 142 Swatara Road, was charged with five felony counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, five misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, three misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one summary offense each of DUI, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked, and not driving on roadways laned for traffic.
Koncsler was arraigned on the charges and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $50,000 straight cash bail.
Patrolman Thomas Rentschler filed the charges against Koncsler after an incident in the 600 block of West Centre Street about 12:40 a.m.
Rentschler said he was following a vehicle driven by Koncsler and decided to pull it over after seeing the driver travel over the double yellow line several times and weave in and out of his lane of traffic.
As he approached the vehicle, Rentschler said, Koncsler had bloodshot eyes and was moving around inside. When asked if he was on medication or controlled substances, the man said “I smoked meth last night,” Rentschler said.
After being taken from the vehicle, Rentschler said, Koncsler agreed to have both him and his vehicle searched.
Rentschler said he found a large plastic container with 157 glassine bags inside that field tested positive for heroin, packaged in denominations of ten, in the man’s possession. Also found were other baggies used for packaging controlled substances and a container that held two bags that contained a crystal rock substance that tested positive for methamphetamine.
Rentschler said police also found other baggies, one containing five tramadol pills and the other five Oxycontin pills and a beige strip that was identified as Suboxone.
Rentschler said Koncsler also had items of drug paraphernalia and a suspended driver’s license, DUI-related.
Back at the police station, Koncsler said he also did “speed” earlier in the day and that he had been awake for about five days in a row, Rentschler said.
Koncsler will now have to answer to the charges at a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.