Three men have been charged after a stolen gun was found during a traffic stop Thursday in Seven Fields.

The driver, Justin J. Sipe, 23, of Tarentum, faces three felony counts after he was stopped by Evans City Seven Fields Regional Police.Passengers Darren R. Durler, 18, of Cranberry Township, and Ryan J. Helffrich, 18, of Seven Fields, also were charged.According to charging documents, police saw Sipe hanging out the driver's side window of a white 2007 Cadillac sedan while at a gas pump at GetGo, 206 Seven Fields Boulevard.“It appeared as if he may be passed out,” said the investigating officer in the affidavit.Police said they followed the car as it left the station and initiated a traffic stop, where they found the registration expired in March 2020.Police said Sipe told them he didn't have ID or a valid driver's license on him, and he gave them a false identity. Police said they also smelled “burnt marijuana” coming from the vehicle and saw signs of impairment in Sipe.According to documents, police conducted a field sobriety test while the passengers were asked to exit the car and sit on the curb. Durler exited from the front-passenger seat, and Helffrich from the back seat.Police said the field sobriety tests indicated Sipe was impaired, and they asked him again to identify himself. He again gave them the false name, and it again came back with no results, according to documents.Police said they told Sipe he was detained and would be taken to the Cranberry Township Police Department to be fingerprinted to reveal his identity.“As Justin Sipe stood up, he ran away from law enforcement on scene in an attempt to avoid apprehension,” said the officer in the affidavit.By that time, police had called Adams Township Police for backup during the sobriety test.According to the documents, police found Sipe hiding under a parked vehicle. Once in custody, he revealed his real name and date of birth, which revealed a number of warrants outstanding from Allegheny County.The documents said that while police were apprehending Sipe, Adams Township Police notified the arresting officer that a 9-millimeter Taurus handgun was found in plain view underneath the front-passenger seat.Police said the gun later was identified as stolen.“The location of the firearm was in a location that was accessible to all passengers inside of the vehicle,” said the officer in the affidavit.Sipe was charged with three felony counts, including receiving stolen property, flight to avoid apprehension and escape. He also was charged with four misdemeanors and three summary offenses related to the incident.Durler and Helffrich were charged with one count of receiving stolen property and one count of unlicensed carry of a firearm.All three men have a preliminary hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday before District Judge David Kovach.

Justin Sipe