Man jailed on drug, gun charges after Ambler incident
NORRISTOWN >> A Philadelphia man was sent to jail after he admitted to drug and weapons charges in connection with an incident in Ambler where he was found possessing marijuana and a gun during a traffic stop.
Kevin Latek Rutland, 42, of the 7900 block of Bayard Street, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11½ to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to charges of possession with intent to deliver marijuana and firearms not to be carried without a license in connection with the June 2019 incident in Ambler.
Judge Wendy Demchick Alloy, who accepted a plea agreement in the matter, also ordered Rutland to complete two years’ probation following parole, meaning Rutland will be under court supervision for about four years.
The investigation began about 7:11 p.m. on June 24, 2019, when Ambler police conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Rutland was a passenger in the area of Tennis Avenue and Hendricks Street, according to the criminal complaint filed by Ambler Police Officer Ian Rudolf Stanley.
“After identifying myself, I noticed a strong odor of unburned marijuana coming from inside the vehicle,” Stanley alleged, adding Rutland initially stated he only had a small marijuana cigar in his hand.
However, when police searched Rutland they found a long, clear tube containing marijuana in
Rutland’s pocket as well as a wallet containing $1,050 cash bound with a rubber band, according to the arrest affidavit.
Police also found a backpack that “smelled strongly of marijuana” in the rear seat of the vehicle. Rutland allegedly claimed ownership of the backpack.
A subsequent search of the backpack uncovered a large, clear bag containing loose marijuana and five bags of individually packaged marijuana, a digital scale, metal grinders used for grinding marijuana, a
BB gun, a semiautomatic pistol stamped “Ruger .22-caliber long rifle Mark II target” and a magazine containing five rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, according to the criminal complaint.
After Rutland was transported to the police station, police noticed his cellphone was consistently ringing as police processed the evidence and the phone’s caller identification showed many different names, police alleged.
Police alleged the approximate weight of the marijuana that was seized was 47 grams.
“Due to the packaging and amount of narcotics, loose U.S. currency of different denominations and the constant phone calls, my training and experience lead me to believe that the defendant is involved in the distribution of narcotics,” Stanley alleged in the arrest affidavit.
Other charges of possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia were dismissed against Rutland as part of the plea agreement.