Man With Drugs Falls Asleep Behind Wheel, Cops Say

A Philadelphia man was arrested and jailed on drug-related offenses.

Jermaine Marsh, 27, was charged with one felony count of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, and two misdemeanor counts each of use or possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance.

According to police, on Thursday shortly before 8 p.m., officers of the Bristol Township Police Department responded to the Wawa at 3260 Veterans Highway. According to employees of the location, a man – later identified as Marsh – was seen sleeping in his vehicle at pump 5 for over an hour.

As noted in a probable cause affidavit, it took three knocks on the window by police before the man woke up and rolled the window down. It was then that police noted, the odor of raw marijuana coming from Marsh’s vehicle was “overwhelming”.

Marsh told police he was there waiting for his sister and must have fallen asleep. Police noted a sandwich bag was observed in the vehicle’s center console.

According to a probable cause affidavit, additional officers arrived to the scene and also noted the smell. Marsh was then asked to exit his vehicle and remain at the rear of his vehicle by police.

In a search of the vehicle, police observed cash folded in the driver’s side door pocket. A round digital scale with marijuana residue, an empty prescription pill bottle with Marsh’s name, containing multiple oxycodone pills, and an unknown oval orange tablet were found inside the vehicle, police said.

A backpack, which was partially unzipped in the backseat, was also found to have a large amount of marijuana, an empty box of clear plastic sandwich bags, multiple glass jars, and one glass jar containing a small amount of marijuana were also found, according to court documents.

When police advised Marsh that he was under arrest for possession of a controlled substance, police say he immediately fled on foot. He was apprehended by police shortly after, authorities said.

Marsh was arraigned and sent to prison on 10 percent of $200,000. His continued preliminary hearing is scheduled with District Judge Joanne Kline on June 24.

Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.