Police arrest man with drugs, business plan

A Norristown man’s plan to make money by selling marijuana was foiled early Monday morning when a Tamaqua police officer noticed the license on a 1996 BMW was a bit odd.

Tamaqua patrolman Doug Springer was on patrol when he noticed the silver car traveling in the 200 block of Pine Street at 12:28 a.m. The New Jersey license plate seemed to be made out of cardboard, which prompted the officer to check with the Schuylkill County Communications Center. The records check determined there was no such valid plate.

While speaking with the driver, Joshua A. Jannett, 36, the officer smelled marijuana. Jannett handed the officer his New Jersey driver’s license, but also said he lived in Norristown. A torch style lighter was easily visible on the driver’s side floor.

A second call was placed to the communications center, sharing the driver’s license information. This time, there was a record, an outstanding warrant for Jannett out of New Jersey for possession of marijuana.

A pat-down search turned up a small container in Jannett’s right front pocket. It contained a white crystallike material that the driver admitted was methamphetamine. When asked if there was any other illegal material in the car, the answer was yes, a duffel bag on the back seat, stuffed with marijuana and paraphernalia.

The duffel bag contained 330.2 grams of marijuana; 42 plastic tube-shaped containers; 111 sealable bags; 46 easy dose zip-closed bags; 36 1-inch round containers; 19 blue wax baggies; a digital scale; 36 cone-shaped containers; two stirring tools; a grinder; two containers with marijuana residue; 22 THC oil pens; eight small containers, seven having a waxy THC substance; and a portable vacuum sealer.

While the suspect cooled his heels in Tamaqua’s jail cell, officers asked for and received a search warrant for the vehicle. Stashed in various places were: three containers with white powder residue and several tablets; 13 small bags of marijuana; rolling cones; lighters; digital scales; cannabis distillate oil; a yellow envelope filled with marijuana; three pens with THC oil inserts; a bag sealer; a bottle marked methadone; eight lidocaine patches; foil bags; and $1,380 in cash.

There was also an index card with information on weighing and packaging; a ledger; and a notebook detailing Jannett’s plan to sell marijuana to make money.

Hours after the stop and search, Jannett was arraigned before District Magisterial Judge Stephen Bayer on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bayer set bail at $25,000 cash, which the defendant was unable to post.

He was transferred to the Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville and New Jersey authorities were informed of his arrest.