Mar 15, 2016 3 min read

MONONGAHELA – A Rostraver Township man was jailed Monday on charges he possessed a large amount of marijuana and other drugs in a 5-gallon bucket during a traffic stop last week in Monongahela.

David Lee Carden, 28, of 504 Manor Gate Lane, was initially released after police warned him about his erratic driving because the police officer who stopped him didn’t know how the bucket ended up in the parking lot when Carden’s pickup truck was stopped about 7:40 a.m. in the 400 block of West Main Street, court records show.

The officer, Ryan Lenzi, drove his cruiser to the nearby police station and walked back to the parking lot and hid in bushes to see if anyone would return for the bucket, which had a strong odor of marijuana.

Carden returned to the lot 30 seconds later and said “I got it” to someone he was talking to on his cellphone, police said in the affidavit accompanying the criminal complaint against Carden.

Lenzi said he drew his pistol and ordered Carden to halt after he got out of his truck and approached the bucket.

Carden responded by saying, “That ain’t mine,” Lenzi noted in the affidavit.

“I told him he sure wasn’t here to trim the bushes,” Lenzi said.

The traffic stop resulted from Carden passing as many as five other vehicles that were stopped at a red light in the northbound lane of Main Street at Fourth Street. Lenzi’s cruiser was stopped at the traffic signal in the southbound lane at the time, and he turned around to follow Carden.

As Carden was being taken into custody following his return trip to the parking lot, a chrome pipe fell from his clothing. Police found $2,124 in his pocket and a .40-caliber handgun hidden under the console in his truck.

A scale, measuring cup and a bag of pills also were found in the bucket. Nine gabapentin and 16½ clonazepam pills were discovered in the bag. A knife also was found in the truck.

Carden was taken to Mon Valley Hospital for treatment and arrested on a warrant upon his release Monday.

He was charged with possession of drugs with intent to deliver, drug possession, illegal possession of a weapon, tampering with evidence, obstruction, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a prohibited offensive weapon.

He is in Washington County jail on $100,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.