New Castle, DE – A North Carolina man is facing multiple felony charges after a traffic stop in Delaware allegedly led to the discovery of a large quantity of narcotics.
According to Delaware State Police, the incident happened Sunday around 11 a.m. along Interstate 95 southbound near Marsh Road. Troopers say a Ford Edge was initially stopped for a registration violation before the situation escalated into a drug investigation.
Police allege the driver, identified as 55-year-old James Pyrtle of Whitsett, North Carolina, showed signs of possible drug trafficking activity during the stop. Authorities reportedly requested assistance from a K9 unit, which allegedly alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle.
A subsequent search of the SUV allegedly uncovered approximately 2,287 grams of suspected cocaine, along with several controlled substances. Police said the items allegedly included oxycodone hydrochloride pills, tramadol hydrochloride pills, and alprazolam pills.
Pyrtle was taken into custody and transported to Troop 1, where he was charged with multiple offenses. The charges allegedly include possession of a controlled substance in a Tier 3 quantity, possession with intent to deliver, and multiple counts of possession of a controlled substance, along with an expired registration violation.
Authorities said Pyrtle was arraigned in Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institution on a $120,801 cash bond.
The investigation remains ongoing. Delaware State Police have not released additional details at this time.
Officials remind the public that all suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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