By FRANK ANDRUSCAVAGE
MINERSVILLE - Borough police said Thursday they filed charges against a 23-year-old borough man in connection with an incident in the 300 block of Carbon Street on April 13.
Charges of felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and summary driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked were filed against Raymond A. Hoppes III, 513 Baker St., before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
Police said that about 2:25 p.m., an informant met with Hoppes and gave the man $175 for the purchase of 30 mg Percocet pills.
Hoppes took the money and told the informant to meet him in the 300 block of Carbon Street to get the drugs.
Police said officers saw Hoppes leave the area in a white pickup truck and then followed him to 539 School St. in the borough where he entered a home.
After a brief time, Hoppes left the home, got back into the truck and was returning to the area of 320 Carbon St. when officers stopped him and executed a search warrant on the vehicle.
During the search, police said they recovered 21 Percocet pills inside a metal container between Hoppes' feet on the driver's side floor.
Hoppes was taken into custody, read his rights and returned to the borough police station where he admitted taking the $175 from the informant and traveling to 239 School St. where he purchased the drugs from a man and woman.
Hoppes said he handed $450 to the couple who counted out 20 pills and also gave him one extra pill, police said.
Police said Hoppes told them he was then going back to 320 Carbon St. but was taken into custody before he arrived.
Police said Hoppes will have to appear for preliminary hearing on the charges before Plachko in his Port Carbon courtroom.