NORRISTOWN — A Schuylkill County man was incarcerated for drug trafficking after being stopped by state police on the Blue Route in Plymouth Township.
Josef Deitz, 39, of Coaldale, received a 2½ to 8 year prison sentence in Montgomery County Court after admitting to possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute during the June 7, 2021, incident on Route 476 in Plymouth.
Judge Thomas C. Branca, who approved a plea deal in the case, noted that Deitz is eligible for the state Department of Corrections’ drug treatment program.
The investigation started around 3:20 p.m. June 7 when state police at Skippack were patrolling northbound on Route 476, also known as the Blue Route, in Plymouth and pulled over a Mazda sedan driven by Deitz for suspected traffic violations.
“While I was interacting with Deitz, indicators of criminal activity were observed,” state police Trooper Seth Betancourt alleged in the arrest affidavit, stating that Deitz agreed to a search of his vehicle.
During the search of the Mazda, police found 120 glassine baggies with wax paper, some labeled “Sorry Charlie,” containing suspected heroin/fentanyl and also discovered one ounce of suspected methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint.
Other charges of possessing a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia, along with minor traffic violations, were dropped against Deitz as part of the plea deal.
Prosecutor Ani Nicole Hatza handled the case. Defense lawyer Paul Jared Mallis represented Deitz during the court proceedings.
