NORRISTOWN — A North Carolina man is on his way to prison on drug trafficking charges after he was found possessing more than 300 grams of methamphetamine in his vehicle while parked outside a Horsham Township convenience store.
Ronald Alan Harden, 56, of Graham, N.C., was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 18- to 36 months in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, specifically between 100 and 1,000 grams, in connection with an April 2023 incident on the parking lot of the Wawa store along the 100 block of Easton Road in Horsham Township.
The sentence was imposed by Judge Risa Vetri Ferman.
An investigation began at about 1:44 a.m. April 6, 2023, when a police officer observed a Toyota SUV, “running and in park” in front of the Wawa and occupied by Harden, who “appeared to be asleep and his pants disheveled as his right pocket was partially pulled out,” according to the criminal complaint filed by Horsham Township Police Officer Andrew D’Arcy.
“I then made contact with the operator by waking him up,” D’Arcy alleged, adding Harden had slurred speech, appeared lethargic and failed field sobriety tests.
A portable breath test did not detect alcohol in Harden’s system and police then suspected he was under the influence of drugs “to a degree that he was a danger to himself and or others,” according to the arrest affidavit.
“A subsequent search of his person resulted in the recovery of a glass vile with a white powdery substance inside which Harden identified as meth,” D’Arcy alleged. “Harden was asked if he had any more narcotics on his person or in his vehicle. Harden advised he had more narcotics in his vehicle. Harden advised he had more narcotics in his backpack.”
Harden gave police consent to search the vehicle, court documents indicate.
During a search of Harden’s backpack, police found 320 grams of methamphetamine, a bag of empty capsules, two digital scales, two grinders used to break down methamphetamine and to fill capsules, tools used for separating and measuring narcotics, several glass viles containing methamphetamine residue, containers of suspected GHB, or gamma hydroxybutyric acid, and Xanax, according to court documents.
Other charges of possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, and public drunkenness were dismissed against Harden at the time of sentencing.
