18 January 2023- A traffic stop in Franklin County lands two Rochester, NY men in jail on possession with intent to distribute charges. Dwayne Everette Brown and Elidrick Derome Bottoms are both charged with three counts of felony possession with intent to distribute, three counts of misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance, one count of marijuana possession, and one count of drug paraphernalia. Brown is also charged with two traffic violations of following too closely and failure to keep right. Bottoms is behind bars on $250,000 bail, with Brown on $150,000 bail.
Around 12:15pm on January 17th, Pennsylvania State Police Troopers pulled over a 2021 Nissan Altima on traffic violations of failure to keep right and following a vehicle too closely. Additionally, the vehicle driver was leaned so far back in his seat that Troopers were unable to observe him. After talking to the driver and his passenger, Brown and Bottoms respectively, Troopers learned that the vehicle was rented from the Rochester International Airport and that they were driving to their aunt’s murder trial in South Carolina. Police allegedly observed multiple air fresheners and deodorizing spray in the backseat as well as multiple cell phones. Additionally, police allegedly found that Brown did not have any rental agreements for the car.
Police asked for a search of the car, to which Brown and Bottoms allegedly refused. A drug dog was called in from the Chambersburg Police Department, to which the dog Drogo allegedly displayed behavior of the the odors of narcotics. Both men were detained and a search warrant was sought for the car.
A search warrant from Magistrate Judge Kristin Nicklas was approved, and a search of the car was done. Police allegedly found about a half pound of suspected marijuana packaged by the ounce, around 20 plastic baggies of suspected crack cocaine for sale, a ziplock bag of suspected cocaine, a prescription pill bottle with Bottoms’ name on it containing multiple baggies of crack cocaine, a thc vape pen, three suspected oxycodone pills, and four cell phones.
Bottoms and Brown are both behind bars after failing to post bail. Their preliminary hearings are set for January 31st.
Sources: Incident Number: PA 2023-71997, Docket Number: MJ-39302-CR-0000029-2023, Docket Number: MJ-39302-CR-0000030-2023
