CHICORA — A man who allegedly dealt drugs under the name Skeamz saw his charges moved forward to the county level at a Tuesday preliminary hearing.

Anthony D. Rue, 42, of Pittsburgh, appeared virtually for his hearing, while his attorney, Ken Harris, represented him in-person.

“My client is upset about the time it took to file, but they're within the statute of limitations,” said Harris before District Judge Lewis Stoughton ruled to move all the charges forward.

State police testified to a controlled buy they set up in 2019, prompting the charges against Rue. He is charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to sell, two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Trooper Kurtis Glasgow said he personally searched the confidential informant before and after the buy, which was in a gas station parking lot at 285 Chicora Road. He said the searches are done to ensure that the informant does not bring any incriminating or dangerous items with them.

Glasgow said they had been working with the informant to discover the identity of a drug dealer they knew operating by the name of Skeamz.

“I showed the (informant) a (Pennsylvania Justice Network) photo of Mr. Rue without a name,” Glasgow said. “They identified him as Skeamz.”

According to Glasgow, the buy yielded a purchase of both meth and crack cocaine.

Trooper Andrew Andryka testified that he was “a few stalls” from the buy and saw it happen.

“I observed Mr. Rue reach into the window of the (informant's) vehicle,” he said.

After the hearing, Harris made no further comment on the case.

Rue is scheduled to appear next for a formal arraignment July 6 in the Butler County Court of Common Pleas.