Trooper: Vandergrift man admits to dealing drugs after car pulled over for speeding

State police say a Vandergrift man who was a passenger in a car that was pulled over for speeding admitted to dealing drugs after the trooper found narcotics in his possession.

Donald Charles Riggle, 37, of Franklin Avenue was charged with a felony count of possession with the intent to deliver along with two counts of prohibited acts.

He faces a preliminary hearing on the charges before District Judge Carolyn Bengel on Aug. 24.

A state trooper wrote in the criminal complaint charging Riggle that he was on patrol along Route 28 in East Deer at about 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 when he clocked a 2010 Grey Honda Accord for 0.4 miles going 64 mph in a 55 mph zone.

The Honda was pulled over at Exit 14 in Tarentum.

The trooper said Riggle was in possession of 84 glassine bags that contained a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, according to the criminal complaint.

Riggle told the trooper that he sells the bags for $10 each and trades them for rides because his driver’s license is suspended, the complaint said.

In June 2019 Riggle pleaded for the second time to driving under the influence of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 15 days in the Allegheny County Jail and 75 days on house arrest, according to court records.

Riggle also pleaded guilty to drug possession and DUI in 2017 and was sentenced to a year’s probation, court records show.

Since 2014, Riggle has pleaded guilty to more than 16 traffic violations including speeding, careless driving, driving without a license, disobeying traffic signals, having window obstructions and other offenses, according to court records.