Police: Man with gun arrested
CRANBERRY TWP — State police said that a Saturday evening traffic stop led to the arrest of an out-of-state felon with a loaded pistol.
Michael L. Crawford, 45, of Cleveland is being held in the Butler County Prison on $25,000 bail. He is charged with felons prohibited from possessing firearms and possession of a firearm without a carry license, both felonies.
He also is charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and two traffic violations.
Police said they pulled over Crawford about 5 p.m. on the Pennsylvania Turnpike on-ramp at Interstate 79 in Cranberry Township because of heavily tinted windows on his pickup truck.
Troopers reported a “strong odor” of marijuana coming from the truck, according to court documents. A search of the vehicle turned up a film container with suspected marijuana that was in the center ashtray.
Police seized a loaded 9 mm pistol from the center console, documents said. Crawford admitted that he did not have a license to carry the gun.
He also allegedly acknowledged that he had prior felony convictions. Police said they confirmed those priors in Ohio for “drug violations” and “possessing a firearm under disability.”
His preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. Friday at the office of District Judge David Kovach.
