Police: Drug Dealer Threw Money Out Window

One of two men charged in a Bethlehem drug bust Wednesday afternoon was throwing things before and after police arrived at his residence.

David Soto Jr.,18, told police that before they arrived at his home at 611 Broadway, Apt. 3, he threw about $1,300 out the window.

And as a detective approached him, he threw a small white object in the air. That object was a “brick” containing about 50 glassine packets filled with suspected heroin, court records say.

About three hours before – and about a block away – police arrested a Whitehall Township man after they saw him entering a vehicle and “holding up items to his nose to sniff them.”

That man was Andrew Howells, 25, of 3265 Clay St. in the Hokendauqua section of Whitehall.

The criminal complaints against both suspects were filed by Bethlehem Det. Michael A. Mish III, who is assigned to the Drug Enforcement Administration Allentown resident office task force.

Mish served a search warrant at Soto’s residence around 3:10pm and found Soto in one of the bedrooms. Detectives found about $1,284 of the money Soto said he threw out the window.

In addition to the 50 packets in the “brick,” they found another 200 packets filled with suspected heroin beneath the bedroom window. In all, they found more than 280 packets, including some in the same dresser drawer where the “brick” had landed.

Police also found clear plastic bags and a digital scale.

At around noon, police spotted Howells entering the Broadway residence and leaving about two minutes later. He walked east toward Mohican Street and his right hand was cupped “as if to contain small item/s.”

Police took him into custody inside the vehicle parked at Mohican and Pawnee streets. Mish saw torn white glassine bags both on Howells’ lap and sticking out of his left sweatshirt pocket.

When police searched Howells, they found about 46 additional packets in his sweatshirt pocket. They also found about 100 more packets atop the vehicle’s console.

Soto was charged with possession with intent to deliver and possession with intent to use drug paraphernalia. Howells was charged with possession with intent to deliver and possession of a controlled or counterfeit substance.

They were arraigned Wednesday night by on-duty District Judge Richard Yetter of Wilson and committed to Northampton County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail each.