Traffic stop leads to drug charges

A traffic stop has led to the arrest of a Tioga County driver on several drug charges.

On Feb. 3 at 11:35 p.m. Summit Hill police observed a black Ford F150 pickup traveling eastbound on Route 902 with the license plate lights out. A vehicle stop was made.

The driver was identified as John Daniel Covine, 45, of 1489 Mitchell Creek Road, in Tioga. A check revealed that Covine’s license was under suspension — DUI related. Also the registration of the truck had expired in December 2017.

A consent search was conducted of the vehicle and found was a glass pipe with a white powdery substance inside, and a pill bottle containing a brown crystallike substance. Both the residue in the pipe and the substance in the pill bottle later field tested positive for methamphetamine.

As a result, Covine was charged with possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension — DUI related, driving with an expired registration and general lighting requirements.