Man with ties in 3 counties jailed in Westmoreland on accusations of possessing meth in Salem motel

Three days after a transient man was released on bond from the Armstrong County Jail last month, he was arrested in Westmoreland County for possessing methamphetamine in a Salem motel, according to court documents filed Tuesday.

Ryan J. Fredericks, 27, who has lived in Johnstown, Apollo and Derry Township, was arraigned on multiple counts of possession of meth and drug paraphernalia filed by state police at Kiski after his Feb. 10 arrest at the Super 8 Motel just outside of Delmont.

According to court documents, troopers found Fredericks and a woman in a motel room when they went there to investigate a party where two people wanted on warrants may be attending. Trooper Judson Shephard said troopers found Fredericks attempting to hide inside the room, where meth, suboxone strips and psychedelic mushrooms were seized.

On Feb. 7, according to court dockets, Fredericks had been released on $5,000 bond from a bail bondsman from the jail in Armstrong County after his arrest for causing a disturbance in a North Apollo grocery store Jan. 29.

Kiski police arrested Fredericks for disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and providing false identification to law enforcement in that case.

Police said he was going down the aisles of Held’s Shop ‘n Save taking bites out of food items then returning them to the shelves. Fredericks also was seen opening a box of facial tissues, blowing his nose and returning the used tissue to the box, police said.

Police determined Fredericks was under the influence of meth during the incident.

Police also seized his vehicle and after acquiring a search warrant discovered meth inside. He was charged Feb. 9 in Armstrong with a felony count of possession with intent to deliver meth, as well as misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.

After his arrest in Salem, Fredericks had his $10,000 unsecured bond revoked in connection with a May 25 arrest by Delmont police on drug-related charges. He also was wanted in Westmoreland for retail theft in Salem.

Although Fredericks has used addresses in Armstrong, Cambria and Westmoreland counties, Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour on Tuesday listed his address as the Westmoreland County Prison. He is being held in the county jail on $45,000 bond.