A Bristol Township man and a Tullytown Borough man were arrested and charged after police said they found drugs and an illegal explosive device that had to be taken by a bomb squad.
Advertisements
On Saturday, August 27, two Tullytown Borough officers on patrol at 12:39 p.m spotted a van leaving a known drug house at a high rate of speed down Main Street. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Radcliffe Street just across the border in Bristol Township, police said.
The driver – identified as Robert G Kostaras Jr., 46 – was found to have a suspended license that was DUI related. He was driving his roommate’s van, police said.
The passenger reportedly told officers he did not have a license.
Advertisements
An officer told Kostaras he would get a citation for driving on a suspended license and the two were free to leave and the owner of the van could pick it up, police said.
Kostaras was engaged in small talk with an officer and stated he was picking up the passenger from a friend’s house, police said.
As the conversation went on, an officer found the passenger – Michael James Doan, 31, of Bristol Township’s Croydon section – was found to have given a different name. It was then discovered Doan had active warrants from the Bucks County and Philadelphia sheriffs’ offices, police said.
Advertisements
Officers believed the two men were acting nervous and had been leaving a “known drug house” while operating a vehicle that did not belong to them, police said.
An officer stated he informed Kostaras he was free to leave or turn down a search of the vehicle, or he could wait for a K-9 unit to conduct a search, police said.
Kostaras ended up consenting to a search of the vehicle, police said.
Authorities searched a backpack in the van and located more than 10 grams of suspected psychedelic mushrooms and marijuana. They also spotted what appeared to be an explosive device in the backpack, police said.
Advertisements
The officers stopped their search, requested Bristol Township police to respond, called for a bomb squad, and went to obtain a search warrant, police said.
The two men in custody blamed the other for the bag and made other claims, police said.
The Philadelphia Police Department bomb squad arrived at the scene and confirmed the suspected explosive was indeed one. They took the item from the scene, police said.
Advertisements
Court papers do not list more on the device or have specifics on it.
Kostaras was taken to Lower Bucks Hospital after reporting he was having trouble breathing. He was later released, police said.
Kostaras and Doan were charged with unlawful possession of weapons of mass destruction, possession of a controlled substance, and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. They were preliminarily arraigned and held by District Judge Kevin Wagner on 10 percent of $500,000.
Advertisements
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.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
