Friday, November 3, 2017

Man Facing Firearms and Drug Charges After Traffic Stop

An Ashland man was arrested on weapons charges earlier this week.

According to Ashland Police, on Tuesday, around 12:40am, stopped a vehicle driven by Joshua Phillips, 33, of Ashland for driving at a high rate of speed and failing to stop at a stop sign.

Police say when Phillips pulled over, he tried to exit the vehicle but quickly got back insiden when he was ordered to.

Phillips said he was not driving the vehicle, saying he was the passenger, but quickly admitted to being the driver after Johnson told him he watched him drive away from the Turkey Hill parking lot and that he identified him as the driver who traveled through the stop sign.

During the stop, Police had seen the butt of a shotgun wrapped in electrical tape between the driver’s seat and center console, and Phillips also told police he had a backpack filled with antique knives.

After Phillips and his passenger were detained, police searched the vehicle and found a loaded Winchester 12-gauge shotgun, a glass pipe with drug residue, a scale and spoon, both with residue, metal knuckles and a pocket radio.

In the backpack where Phillips said the knives were, police found small plastic bag, some of which contained a white substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine, 12-gauge shotgun shells and an unloaded Lorcin .380-caliber handgun with the serial numbers scratched off.

Phillips was charged with two felony counts each of possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer’s number and firearms not to be carried without a license, three misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, two misdemeanor counts of prohibited offensive weapons, and one summary count each of carrying loaded weapons other than firearms, driving while operating privileges are suspended or revoked and stop and yield sign violations.

Phillips was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Anthony Kilker,  and committed to Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.
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