Credit: Middletown Police
A traffic accident in Middletown led to a drug bust, according to court papers.
Detective David Strother responded to the intersection of East Lincoln Highway and the Target jug handle Wednesday around 4 p.m. to assist officers handling a traffic crash.
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A witness told police she observed one of the people involved in the crash – John Charles Reukauf Jr., 27, of Middletown – hand a pill bottle to his female passenger.
The woman admitted Reukauf handed her a pill bottle and a large amount of cash to place in her purse after the crash. He allegedly told her to “just hold this,” according to an affidavit of probable cause.
After further investigation, Reukauf admitted he placed the pill bottle and cash in the woman’s purse. In addition, he said there were several bundles of heroin hidden in a coat inside his car, police said.
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The purse was searched and 11 Xanax and 21 Klonopin pills were found. A syringe and $923 cash were also found, police said.
Inside Reukauf ‘s vehicle, investigators found a partial 13 bag bundle of suspected heroin inside a pea coat. A bag containing uncooked rice and additional bags of suspected heroin were also discovered in another part of the coat, police said.
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In a post arrest statement, Reukauf admitted he traveled recently to the area of Somerset Avenue in Philadelphia and purchased 20 bundles (around 280 bags) of heroin for resale in Bucks County. He said he charges around $10 per bag and used about two bundles himself. The 27 year old said he has four or five steady customers and has sold drugs since he was 12 years old.
Reukauf said a portion of the $923 was from drug sales and the rest was legitimately earned by delivering newspapers, court papers state.
Reukauf was charged with possession with intent to deliver, criminal use of a communication facility, possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arraigned and sent to prison on 10 percent of $500,000 bail.
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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.
