A routine traffic Saturday turned into something much more after Schoharie County Sheriff’s deputies discovered heroin, crack, meth, and a set of brass knuckles in a 1999 Mazda pickup truck with a bad exhaust.
Arrested on a slew of drug charges was Joshua T. McDonnell, 27, of the Town of Fulton.
Deputies said they also uncovered $25,000 in cash buried at Mr. McDonnell’s home on Walhalla Road, Fulton, “and details indicating the monies came from multiple sales over a four-month period.”
According to deputies, Mr. McDonnell was stopped on Walhalla Road when a Sheriff’s Patrol observed his failure to signal a turn onto State Route 30 and further noted an inadequate exhaust on the vehicle.
After speaking with him and a subsequent investigation, deputies discovered 79.5 grams of packaged heroin, one gram of crack cocaine, several hydrocodone pills, a gram of methamphetamines, $1,900 in cash, and a set of brass knuckles.
Mr. McDonnell was placed in custody and his vehicle was impounded,
A further search of his personal belongings revealed information indicating a potential criminal sale of controlled substances “on a larger scale,” deputies said.
Sheriff’s Office investigators and patrols working with District Attorney Susan Mallery’s office obtained search warrants for both Mr. McDonnell’s vehicle and his residence.
A subsequent search of the property lead to the discovery of the buried cash and drug sale details.
A search of the vehicle was also conducted.
Mr. McDonnell was charged with multiple felonies including:
• Two counts each of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree.
• Two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
• Misdemeanor charges of criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree.
• Criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree.
• A traffic ticket.
Mr. McConnell was arraigned in the Town of Fulton Court and released to return on February 1.