Suspect arrested in Reading on charges of dealing crack and synthetic marijuana
Jul. 13—Reading vice and narcotics officers said they arrested a man on drug-trafficking charges after seeing him leave his North Ninth Street apartment and deliver a bag of crack cocaine to a customer waiting at the staircase.
Police searched 29-year-old Jhmall Jones' apartment in the 200 block on Tuesday evening after they said he made incriminating statements while in custody.
Investigators said Jones told them they would find drug-related text conversations on his cellphone and would find both crack cocaine and synthetic marijuana in his room.
According to police:
A detective who was aware of citizen complaints about drug activity at the apartment building was paired with another officer in an unmarked car about 7 p.m.
They noticed a male waiting by the staircase to the apartments. He was intermittently checking his phone and looking around for someone.
Moments later a man later identified as Jones exited an apartment. The other male handed Jones money and Jones in turn handed the male an item that turned out to be crack, before the two parted ways.
The officers got out of the vehicle. One of them spoke to the customer and the other spoke to Jones.
The customer said Jones had sold him a bag of crack for $10. He was released from the scene while police detained Jones and read him his Miranda rights.
Because of the statements from Jones and the man to whom he had sold drugs, police didn't need a search warrant to look for drugs and weapons in Jones' apartment.
They discovered synthetic marijuana in bulk and packaged for street sales, as well as bulk crack cocaine and packaging material for both drugs.
They also seized two revolvers, one with a scratched off serial number.
Jones was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail to await a hearing after arraignment before District Judge Brian K. Strand in Reading Central Court.
He faces felony counts of possessing and intending to deliver cocaine and synthetic marijuana and possessing a firearm with an altered serial number.
