According to court documents, troopers from the Frackville barracks were dispatched around 1:03 a.m. on Thursday, July 30, 2026, to investigate a single-vehicle crash involving a parked vehicle in the 2100 block of Walnut Street in Ashland.
While speaking with those involved in the crash, police said a passenger identified himself as Justin Shurbok, provided a date of birth of Jan. 6, 1976, and gave troopers a cellphone number before leaving the scene on foot.
State police said a records search using the information provided failed to locate any matching individual. Troopers then contacted the man by phone and requested that he return to the scene. When he returned, he again identified himself as "Justin Shurbok" and claimed he had been adopted after police advised him the name could not be verified.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, troopers detained the man while attempting to confirm his identity. Police allege he became visibly nervous before admitting he had provided false identifying information. He then identified himself as Dennis E. Bugden, 50, of Shenandoah.
A subsequent records check revealed Bugden had an active bench warrant for failure to appear, according to police.
Troopers arrested Bugden and, during a search incident to the arrest, allegedly found two empty plastic pen tubes containing a white powder residue suspected to be methamphetamine in his front pants pocket. Police also recovered a wallet containing Bugden's Pennsylvania identification card.
According to the affidavit, Bugden later admitted he used the pen tubes to ingest "speed," which police described as a common street term for methamphetamine. The suspected drug paraphernalia was submitted into evidence.
Court documents also note that Bugden has a prior conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bugden has been charged with False Identification to Law Enforcement and Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The charges were filed on Aug. 4, and the case remains active.
A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 11:15 a.m. on Sept. 2, 2026, before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli.