Police stop Connellsville driver in North Huntingdon, find hidden heroin, pills

A Fayette County man who police said was driving erratically on Route 30 in North Huntingdon with an inoperable brake light in February is now charged with possessing nearly a brick of heroin.

Matthew A. Greenawalt, 24, of Connellsville was charged by township police this week with two counts of possession of a controlled substance, including heroin and three methadone tablets, and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia after the state police laboratory confirmed the items discovered in a secret compartment in the center console were illegal contraband.

Officer Matthew Benick reported in an affidavit of probable cause that he pulled over Greenawalt's 2007 Hyundai sedan in the Jacktown Hill area about 10:30 p.m. Feb. 2 when he saw it weaving between traffic lanes and noticed an inoperable brake light.

Benick found Greenawalt was driving on a suspended license and impounded the car, then saw an empty stamp bag of heroin next to a child safety seat in the rear, he reported in court documents.

A search revealed a secret compartment on the center console where police confiscated a hypodermic needle, 45 stamp bags of heroin marked “Tin Tin” and three methadone pills, Benick said. A brick of heroin contains 50 stamp bags.

A hearing is scheduled for Nov. 22 before District Judge Wayne Gongaware.

Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib.