Duquesne, PA (PPP)— 24-year-old Rondell Newson has been charged with multiple offenses, including firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of a weapon, possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, tampering with physical evidence, and various drug-related offenses.

Officers who pulled Newson over after witnessing him drive erratically say the man claimed the drugs and gun found in his car possibly came from “a lot of people in his car.”

Newson was arraigned on February 25 at 7:00 pm with Magisterial District Judge Craig C. Stephens presiding. Bail was set at $25,000.

Name: Rondell Newson
Gender: Male
Age: 24

Agency: Duquesne Police Department

Court: Magisterial District Court 05-2-47
Docket Number: MJ-05247-CR-0000109-2023
Date Filed: February 25, 2023

Bail: $25,000, posted

Criminal Charges

1. Firearms Not To Be Carried w/o License, Felony 3
2. Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
3. Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
4. Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
5. Possession Of Weapon, Misdemeanor 1
6. Tamper With/Fabricate Physical Evidence, Misdemeanor 2
7. Failure To Stop At Red Signal, Summary offense
8. Int Poss Contr Subst By Per Not Reg, Misdemeanor
9. Int Poss Contr Subst By Per Not Reg, Misdemeanor
10. Int Poss Contr Subst By Per Not Reg, Misdemeanor
11. Use/Poss Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
12. Disorderly Conduct Hazardous/Physi Off, Summary offense
13. Driv While Oper Priv Susp Or Revoked, Summary offense
14. Driving at Safe Speed, Summary offense
15. Operat Veh W/O Valid Inspect, Summary offense
16. Evidence Of Emission Inspection, Summary offense

Affidavit of Probable Cause
On 02/25/2023 at 0104 hrs I along with Officer Drohn were monitoring traffic along SR837 in a fully marked police car across from 818 Duquesne Blvd (7/11 gas station). While monitoring traffic, we observed a blue SUV traveling northbound towards Kennywood at a high rate of speed, highest enough it was deemed unsafe. We pulled out and attempted to catch up to the vehicle. White attempting to catch up the vehicle, we observed him run a steady red light at the intersection of Duquesne Blvd/Hoffman Blvd.

When in front of Kennywood I activated my cruiser’s emergency lights. The vehicle was in the fast lane, and he then moved into the slow lane showing me he acknowledged my emergency lights. The driver failed to yield all the way until Speedway when there was ample room on the shoulder to have stopped and ample lighting. Through my experiences that a delay in stopping like this is often indicative of the occupant(s) obtaining/concealing weapons, narcotics, and/or other criminal evidence. The vehicle pulled into Speedway’s parking lot. As the operator was pulling the vehicle into the parking lot, both Officer Drohn and I observed numerous furtive movements towards both the front driver and front passenger side floorboards; the driver’s right shoulder dipped forward which due to my experiences is Indicative of someone reaching to the floorboard, he then sat back in an upright position and then reached towards front passenger floorboard with his right hand. The driver then leaned towards the rear driver’s floorboard and reached there with his right hand.

The vehicle, a blue Suzuki SUV, pulled into a parking spot on the side of the building. I was able to obtain the vehicle’s Pennsylvania registration plate ██████ and advised county dispatch of the stop and location. Officer Drohn approached the driver side of the vehicle and observed the NEWSON did not have any pertinent documents in his hand nor on his lap which drew further concern to the furtive movements. Due to the numerous furtive movements observed, Officer Drohn requested the male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle to step out of the vehicle. As the male, later identified as RONDELL NEWSON, opened the door to step out of the vehicle, we observed an obvious odor of fresh marijuana coming from the vehicle. I advised NEWSON of the reason for the stop. NEWSON began explaining the reason for his driving was his vehicle is low on coolant and was attempting to get to a gas station to buy more coolant. I found this to be deceptive because NEWSON passed gas stations prior to us trying to stop him, and someone low on gas and coolant is not going to be driving at a high rate of speed.

I asked for NEWSON’s driver’s license to which he promptly handed to me. I ran his Pennsylvania driver’s license with dispatch. Dispatch advised he is the registered owner of the vehicle, and his license is suspended document pick up. During the stop I observed NEWSONS inspection and emissions to be expired as of 07/22. While I was gathering NEWSON’s information, Officer Drohn asked NEWSON how much marijuana is in the vehicle in which NEWSON stated there is just a blunt and offered to retrieve it but was not allowed to out of concern for officer safety due to the furtive movements. Through my training and experiences I know “blunt” to mean a marijuana filled cigar. I also know that this blunt is illegally possessed and even if he had a Medical Marijuana Card, it is in violation of such as well. At that time, NEWSON was detained for further investigation.

I asked NEWSON if there was anything we should know about inside the vehicle, he stated there is not. I asked NEWSON for consent to search the vehicle which he denied. Officer Johnston arrived on scene. Officer Drohn advised Officer Johnston that NEWSON admitted to possessing marijuana. Officer Johnston searched NEWSON and found a folded $1 bill with cocaine in such in NEWSON’S front right coin pocket. Officer Johnston also found a knotted plastic baggie containing approx. 5 grams of cocaine in NEWSON’S wallet which was in his center hoodie pocket. Also in his wallet was a large amount of cash, later totaled to $1,030 in denominations of $5, $10, $20 bills.

Officer Johnston advised NEWSON of his rights which he stated he understood. I asked if there is again, anything in the vehicle that we should know about, and he stated no. I again asked about consent to search the vehicle and he denied consent. I advised NEWSON that I have probable cause to seize the vehicle and apply for a search warrant. When asked about the large amount of cash on his person, NEWSON states that he used to work at the Primanti’s in Monroeville but has recently been unemployed. Since his unemployment, NEWSON states he works side jobs under the table.

Officer Drohn and I transported NEWSON back to our station where he is currently being held in cell #4. Mac’s Towing arrived on scene and the tow operator was given the vehicle keys. The tow operator opened the driver’s door and Officer Johnston observed loose pieces of marijuana on the floorboard in between the driver’s seat and the door. Officer Johnston also observed a white/speckled hand grenade shaped tablet which he seized due to such being suspected MDMA/methamphetamine. The tow operator towed the vehicle back to my station in which Officer Johnston monitored the tow operator and followed the vehicle back to our station.

A query through the PA Dept of Labor and Industry Employment shows NEWSON has not been employed at all by Primanti’s and has not been employed by any company since the 1st quarter of 2022. NEWSON did not show any signs of being under the influence of cocaine/a stimulant, nor did he possess any user paraphernalia on his person.

Officer Johnston utilized a Scott Reagent System Modified preemptive narcotics test in which the suspected cocaine in the folded $1 bill seized from NEWSON tested positive for cocaine.

I applied for a nighttime search warrant for the vehicle. The warrant was signed and approved at 0345 hrs. The search warrant was completed by Officer Johnston, Officer Drohn, and I. The following items were located during the search warrant.

• 1 GRAY 1911 HANDGUN .45 CAL SERIAL NUMBER R1A1467635 WITH LOADED MAGAZINE FACING FRONT PASSENGER DOOR (UNDER THE DRIVER SEAT MUZZLE FACING THE REAR SEAT) (FIREARM FOUND BY OFFICER DROHN) (FIREARM WAS CLEARED. MADE SAFE AND DEAMED OPERABLE BY OFFICER JOHNSTON)
• 5 INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED CLEAR BAGGIES OF MARIJUANA, 2 MYLAR ZIPSEALED BAGS CONTAINING MARIJUANA (FOUND INSIDE A SILVER ZIPSEALED BAG INSIDE OF A BLACK BACKPACK ON THE REAR PASSENGERSIDE FLOORBOARD) (FOUND BY OFFICER JOHNSTON)
• 1 CUT OPEN BAG OF MARIJUANA WEIGHING 48 GRAMS (FOUND INSIDE RED BACKPACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER.SPANGLER)
• OPEN PLASTIC BAGGIE CONTAINING APPROXIMATELY 57 SUSPECTED MDMAIMETHAMPHETAMINE TABLETS (FOUND INSIDE RED BACKPACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER) 1 CLEAR MASON JAR OF MARIJUANA WEIGHING 14.8 GRAMS (FOUND IN RED BACKPACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)
• 1 CLEAR MASON JAR OF MARIJUANA WEIGHING 20.5 GRAMS (FOUND IN TRUNK OF VEHICLE) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)
• 1 CLEAR OPEN BAGGIE CORNER CONTAINING UNIDENTIFED GRAY CHALK LIKE SUBSTANCE WEIGHING 0.5 GRAMS (FOUND IN FRONT PASSENGER. DOOR HANDLE) (FOUND BY OFFICER JOHNSTON) 1 MEASURING SCALE WITH SUSPECTED COCAINE AND MARIJUANA RESIDUE (FOUND IN RED BACKPACK.ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)
• 1 MARIJUANA GRINDER (FOUND IN RED BACKPACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)
• 1 MARIJUANA ROLLING TRAY WITH MARIJUANA RESIDUE (FOUND IN RED BACKPACK ON FRONT PASSENGER SEAT) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)
• 1 ACTIVE IPHONE XR IN A WHITE AND BLACK CASE (FOUND MOUNTED TO THE WINDSHIELD) (FOUND BY OFFICER SPANGLER)

NEWSON was requested to give consent to search his phone to which he denied. He was advised the phone would be seized and a search warrant would be applied for. At 0510 hrs Officer Johnston took the open plastic baggie corner with the unknown gray substance to NEWSON and asked him what such was. NEWSON said he does not know and there are a lot of people in his car. As Officer Johnston walked away, NEWSON stated the only thing he had was what was under his seat (referencing the firearm recovered under the seat which was the only thing found under such).

Based off of the training experience between Officer Drohn, Johnston, and I in conjunction with the various different quantities of narcotics seized, the amount of narcotics seized, the large amount of cash with numerous denominations with no income, digital scale with cocaine and marijuana residue, and with no user paraphernalia for cocaine being found on NEWSON or in the vehicle and NEWSON not showing any signs of being under the influence of cocaine/mdma/methamphetamine/stimulant, we collectively believe NEWSON possessed all of the above narcotics and seized equipment with the intent to deliver. Furthermore, through our training and experiences it is believe NEWSON possessed the firearm to protect him when distributing narcotics, to protect his supply, or to protect his proceeds from narcotics sales. It should be noted that NEWSON does not possess a valid Concealed Carry Permit and is not eligible for one due to the aforementioned facts.