FORD CITY, Armstrong County — A felon already awaiting trial in Butler County on felony drug charges is now headed for Armstrong County court stemming from a traffic stop last month in South Buffalo Township that allegedly turned up hundreds of stamp bags of suspected heroin.

Anthony D. Rue, 40, of Pittsburgh waived his preliminary hearing Tuesday on his latest felony charges at the office of District Judge Gary Decomo in Ford City.

State police said Rue was a passenger in a car, which was pulled over for a traffic violation around 9:30 p.m. Sept. 17 on Route 28 north near the Armstrong-Butler county line. The driver was subsequently arrested for driving while on drugs.

During the stop, police said, when troopers searched Rue they found 300 glassine bags of suspected heroin. He also was caught with what appeared to be a marijuana blunt.

The defendant is charged with felony and misdemeanor drug possession. He waived those charges to court Tuesday.

His attorney listed in online court records is public defender Debra Yost, who did not immediately return a telephone call Thursday.

Rue has remained in the Armstrong County Jail on $15,000 bond since his arrest.

In Butler County, he was arrested Feb. 2, 2018, after state police said they found him in a Butler Township apartment with two other men and a variety of drugs and other contraband.

He was placed in the Butler County Prison on $100,000 bond following his arrest on felony and misdemeanor charges of drug possession and an additional felony charge of conspiracy.

He waived his charges to court, and on Sept. 4, 2018, he was released after a county judge granted his motion for a nominal bond.

Rue's trial is pending. Devin O'Leary of Pittsburgh, who is listed as Rue's attorney in the case, did not return a telephone call Thursday.

Court records showed that the defendant has prior felony drug convictions in Butler, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.