McKeesport, PA (PPP)— Two men have been arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop in McKeesport.

Narcotics Agents from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, DANET, and the McKeesport Police Department were conducting a narcotics and violence suppression detail in the area when they made the arrests. The men were identified as Brandon Murphy, 27, and Tyler Berryman, 31.

Upon approaching the vehicle, agents observed a strong smell of burnt marijuana. Agents then discovered marijuana in plain view on the center console area of the vehicle and on the driver’s lap, as well as other drugs including pills and psilocybin mushrooms.

Agents also found a large baggie of marijuana in Berryman’s left jacket pocket, which they believe was intended for distribution rather than personal use.

Suspect #1:
Name: Brandon Murphy
Gender: Male
Age: 27

Agency: Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General

Court: Magisterial District Court 05-2-13
Docket Number: MJ-05213-CR-0000138-2023
Date Filed: March 14, 2023

Bail: $5,000 monetary
Confinement: Allegheny County Jail
Confinement Reason: Unable to post bail. Note: a private surety of $500 was posted the same day.

Criminal Charges

1. Intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered (Misdemeanor)
2. Manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver (Felony)

Suspect #2:
Name: Tyler Berryman
Gender: Male
Age: 31

Agency: Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General

Court: Magisterial District Court 05-2-13
Docket Number: MJ-05213-CR-0000137-2023
Date Filed: March 14, 2023

Bail: $5,000
Confinement: Allegheny County Jail
Confinement Reason: Unable to post bail. Bail was posted on March 20, 2023 by Liberty Bail Bonds.

Criminal Charges

1. Manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver (Felony)
2. Manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver (Felony)
3. Intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered (Misdemeanor)
4. Intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person not registered (Misdemeanor)

Affidavit of Probable Cause
Your Affiants, Narcotics Agent Joseph Seaburn and ██████████████, being duly sworn according to law, aver that the following is true and correct to the best of their knowledge, information and belief and is based on personal knowledge or information provided by reliable sources:

Your Affiant, Joseph E. Seaburn, a Narcotics Agent II is employed by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control. Your Affiant has been a sworn law enforcement officer since December of 2016. Your affiant, from December 2016 to December 2017 was employed by the New Castle Police Department as well as the Mercer Borough Police Department. From December 2017 to May 2021 your affiant was employed by the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. Since May of 2021, your Affiant has been employed with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General in the Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control. Your Affiant is currently assigned to the North Huntingdon Office, Narcotics Division. As a Narcotics Agent of the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control, your Affiant is empowered by law to conduct investigations of, and to make arrests for offenses involving violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act and related offense under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.

Your Affiant, while employed as a Narcotics Agent II, Pittsburgh Police Officer, New Castle Police Officer and Mercer Borough Police Officer, has been involved in numerous investigations concerning narcotics violations and of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act. While employed at the city of Pittsburgh Police, your Affiant worked as a Patrol Officer as well as a Plain Clothes Detective. During your Affiants career as a Pittsburgh Police Officer, your Affiant had been involved in hundreds of arrests and convictions. Specifically, your Affiant has made numerous arrests for violations of the Drug Device and Cosmetic Act, resulting in numerous convictions for these offenses.

Your Affiant has applied for, obtained and executed search warrants, as well as made seizures of narcotics, firearms and other materials involved in the packaging and distribution of narcotics. Your Affiant has been involved in numerous undercover purchases of controlled substances. Your Affiant has extensively interviewed dozens of individuals involved in selling or using of illegal narcotics. These individuals have provided your Affiant with detailed information concerning the terminology of the sale of narcotics, how illegal narcotics are sold, manufactured, cultivated and used. Your Affiant has attended numerous trainings and academies as a Police Officer and Narcotics Agent.

As a result of his training and experience, your Affiant has extensive knowledge regarding illegal drugs and the business of illegal drug sales, as well as the methods utilized by drug traffickers in the sale and distribution of controlled substances. This includes, but is not limited to, the tactics and methods of communication, including the fact that drug users and traffickers often speak in “code” when discussing drugs and drug transactions, and other methods employed by illegal drug traffickers in furtherance of their criminal conduct and in an effort to avoid law enforcement detection.

In November 2021, I competed the Class “A” Pennsylvania State Police Wiretapping and Electronic Surveillance Training School as mandated in Title 18 Pa. C.S. § 5724 and received Class “A” certification Number A-6408. I have participated in non-consensual electronic surveillance investigations with the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Narcotics Investigation and Drug Control.

Affiant Seaburn is empowered by law to conduct investigations of and to make arrests for offenses involving violations of the Controlled Substance, Drug, Device and Cosmetic Act of April 14, 1972, P.L. 233, No. 64, Section 1, et seq., and related offenses under the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.

On March 14th, 2023, Agents with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, DANET, and McKeesport Police Department were conducting a narcotics/violence suppression detail in the area of McKeesport. Agents conducted a traffic stop in front of 2 Harrison Village apartment complexes. This Agent, along with Agent Barna and Klock, parked in front of the traffic stop and exited our vehicle. Upon walking towards the traffic stop, Agents observed a Gray Honda, bearing PA REG, ███████, parked along the traffic way. The vehicle was occupied by four males at this time later identified as ██████████████ (Front Drivers Seat), Brandon Murphy (Front Passenger Seat), Tyler Berryman (Rear Passenger Side), and ██████████████ (Rear Drivers Side). Upon walking in front of the vehicle, Agent Klock, Agent Bama, and I could smell a very strong odor of burnt Marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Agents then walked to the rear of the vehicle where the smell of the Marijuana grew even stronger and was coming from the inside of the vehicle.

Agent Barna and I did make contact with the front seat passenger, identified as Brandon Murphy, to which he stated that he was smoking medical Marijuana. I asked Brandon Murphy for his medical marijuana card to which he could not provide. The Marijuana that was subsequently located which was not properly packaged as medical marijuana would be. None of the occupants of the vehicle were able to produce a valid medical Marijuana card at this time.

Agent Bama and I observed marijuana laying on the center console area of the vehicle and also on the driver, ██████████████’s lap in plain view. This marijuana was in loose form and unrecoverable once ███████ exited the vehicle. Agent Bama asked Brandon Murphy to exit the vehicle and detained him at this time. Agent Bama did locate 12 pills and 8 grams of Psilocybin mushrooms, upon his person at this time.

I then made contact with back passenger seat passenger Tyler Berryman. I asked him exit the vehicle at which time I viewed a large bulge in his left jacket pocket to which through my training and experience identified as a large baggie of marijuana. The baggie of marijuana was transported and packaged at McKeesport Police Department which weighed 94 grams. Berryman was placed into custody without incident. Search incident to arrest I located four (4) ecstasy pills in his front left jacket pocket.

Through my training and experience I know that by the way it was packaged, in conjunction with the amount of marijuana located on Berryman and Mushrooms located on Murphy that these narcotics where possessed with intent to be distributed and not for personal use.

Your affiant requests Brandon Murphy and Tyler Berryman be charged with the aforementioned charges.