Delay, New Info in 'Firecracker' Drug Case

A preliminary hearing for two people accused of trying to sell marijuana to undercover Tredyffrin Township Police officers posing as students has been continued until at least late June.

According to court employees, the defense asked for an extension of time so that lawyers could be brought up to speed on the case. The cases against Justin Mendenhall, 19 of Exton and Katelyn Jennings, 20 of Wayne, had been scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday morning at PA District COurt 15 in Devon. Jennings' hearing has been re-scheduled for June 20 and Mendenhall's for July 11.

New Details in Charging Documents

According to an Affidavit of Probable Cause filed with the court, Mendenhall and Jennings communicated by text with an undercover Tredyffrin police officer posing as a student named "Robbie."

How the Investigation Began

According to the criminal complaint, police tracked down the accused suspects after a 15-year-old Conestoga High School student went to the school nurse's office with a "reported reaction to ingesting marijuana." The teen told authorities he had recently purchased the marijuana from a man in his 20's. The 15-year-old gave police the alleged dealer's cell phone number.

The criminal complaint describes how detectives made contact with Mendenhall.  Posing as "Robbie" the investigating officer used text messages to set up a buy at the Daylesford Train Station parking lot just before 8 last Friday night.

According to the investigating officer's report, Jennings drove Mendenhall to the train station parking lot in a Chevy Cobalt owned by Jennings. She is identified in the chargin Mendenhall's girlfriend. The criminal complaint says officers could see a baggie with marijuana buds on the center console of the car. According to the report "when Mendenhall and Jennings opened their car door doors we could also smell a strong odor of fresh marijuana."  As they stepped out of the car, Jennings and Mendenhall were arrested and charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Evidence Found In the Car

When told by police they were going to apply for a search warrant for the car, the complaint says Mendenhall replied "I can tell you where the rest of the stuff is." The police affdavit says Mendenhall revealed that there was "more marijuana in the glove box and there was a scale in the passenger door pocket."

Mendnehall and Jennings were arraigned Friday night on charges including:

• Possession with Intent to Deliver a Controlled Substance ( Felony)
• Possession of a Controlled or Counterfeit Substance (Misdemeanor)
• Criminal Conspiracy (Felony) 
• Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Criminal Use of a Communications Facility (Felony)

This story is causing quite a buzz among TE Patch readers on the topic of illegal drugs at Conestoga High School.