Police net drugs during traffic stop of Mercer man
A Mercer County man was caught with suspected cocaine and other contraband following a weekend traffic stop in Butler.
City police said Capt. James Hollobaugh came upon Antonio D. Gibson, 34, of Farrell in a car that was stopped facing west in the eastbound lane on the 400 block of West North Street.
Gibson appeared to be nervous and he was unable to provide the officer with any form of identification, according to court documents.
He identified himself using a bogus name, police said. Hollobaugh, meanwhile, noticed that the car's inspection was expired.
Eventually, he identified Gibson using personal cards in his wallet. Once Hollobaugh had the correct name, he learned the driver was wanted on a bench warrant in Butler County.
Gibson was arrested on the warrant and police later conducted an inventory search of his car.
The search turned up a pink zippered case in the center console, documents said. In the case was a small box. In the box were two baggies of an unknown white substance.
Also in the box were two spoons and a straw, which all had residue on them, and a small digital scale.
Police said Gibson waived his Miranda rights and admitted the baggies contained cocaine — one with powder and the other with crack.
“(Gibson) stated that he smokes and snorts cocaine,” Hollobaugh said in his affidavit. “The scale is so he doesn't get 'ripped off' when he makes a purchase.”
Police charged him by summons with misdemeanor drug possession, false identification to law enforcement authorities, driving with a suspended license, driving a vehicle without valid inspection and improperly stopping a vehicle.
Gibson was placed in Butler County Prison on the warrant and later released on his own recognizance.
The warrant, court records showed, was issued Jan. 23 after he failed to appear for DUI court in connection with his arrest last year for driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
