Man in McDonald’s drive-thru had loaded gun, meth, open can of beer

A Washington Township man wasn’t your typical McDonald’s drive-thru customer Monday night.

Rather than leave with a Big Mac and an order of French Fries, Andrew Beil was placed under arrest after he was found with a loaded gun, meth and an open can of beer in his vehicle.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Sgt. Jason Nothstein of the Walnutport Borough Police Department:

At 10:57 p.m. Nothstein received a phone call at the police department from a manager at the McDonald’s who said there was a man in the drive-thru with an open can of beer sitting in the cup holder of his white Ford Crown Victoria.

Upon arrival, Nothstein saw the vehicle sitting in the drive-thru before it pulled out onto North Best Avenue, where it traveled north.

Nothstein activated his emergency lights and initiated a traffic stop.

Beil, 41, of the 8400 block of Woodside Road, was very nervous.

Nothstein requested to see Beil’s driver’s license, registration and insurance.

Nothstein detected a slight odor of an alcoholic beverage on Beil, and requested for him to get out of his vehicle.

Beil was reluctant to get out of the vehicle, but as he did, borough patrol officer Scott Ledo was on the passenger side of the vehicle when he spotted something sticking out of Beil’s right coat pocket and asked about it.

Beil immediately reached in his pocket, but Nothstein pinned him up against the car before he could pull the object out.

Ledo and Nothstein handcuffed Beil, searched his pocket and found a loaded .40-caliber handgun with a full magazine of ammunition inside, but no live ammunition in the chamber.

Upon a search of the vehicle, police located an open 12-ounce can of Coors beer between the center console and driver’s seat, covered up by a paper towel.

Police also located a plastic container that contained a crystallized substance, later identified as methamphetamine. A silver metal straw with residue was also located with the methamphetamine.

Beil faces charges of carrying firearm without a license, having an open alcoholic beverage inside a vehicle, possession of methamphetamine, and possession of drug paraphernalia, and operation of vehicle without official certificate of inspection.

He is currently incarcerated in the Northampton County Correctional Facility in lieu of $20,000 straight, 10 percent bail.