SouthSide Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust

A Bethlehem police officer making a traffic stop Friday night in the SouthSide because a car had an expired registration sticker made an interesting discovery inside the vehicle once it was stopped: three clear plastic bags filled with marijuana.

Thus what might have only been a traffic ticket ended with a felony charge -- possession with intent to deliver -- against the driver, Andrew Hartman, 23, of 643 E. Macada Road in Bethlehem.

The officer spotted the car traveling east on Daly Avenue at about 10 p.m. Friday. The car was stopped near the , according to the affidavit.

As it turned out, the car, a white Toyota Avalon also had an expired inspection sticker and Hartman had no proof of insurance either.

The arresting officer then discovered two bags of marijuana in the center console, along with a metal grinder with marijuana residue and four smaller empty plastic bags that are commonly used in the sale of marijuana, according to the warrant. The third bag of marijuana was found in the glove compartment, the court papers say.

Tests of the materials inside those bags confirmed that they were marijuana, according to the warrant.

In addition to the possession charge, Hartman was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and was given several traffic citations.

He was arraigned Thursday before and released on $20,000 unsecured bail.