Man charged with parole, drug violations after tinted-window traffic stop in New Kensington
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New Kensington police say they charged a Lower Burrell with a felony and jailed him on a parole violation after he tried to ditch a bag of cocaine when his car was pulled over for having windows that were tinted too dark, according to his arrest papers.
Josh J. Porowski, 45, of the 200 block of Kentucky Drive, was charged with possession with the intent to deliver narcotics and three other drug-related charges. He also was charged with giving police false information, drunken driving and traffic violations.
District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr. set a $25,000 cash bail at Porowski’s arraignment following his Jan. 21 arrest, court papers show. But he was taken to the state prison in Somerset County for violating parole, according to court officials.
He faces a preliminary hearing before Pallone on Feb. 17.
Police wrote in a criminal complaint charging Porowski that a patrol officer spotted a white Infiniti with window tint that was too dark going southbound on Freeport Road.
While following the car, the officer learned that Porowski was known to drive that vehicle and that his license was suspended for a DUI conviction, the complaint said. Information about an arrest warrant for a parole violation also was relayed to the officer, the complaint said.
Police said the car was pulled over after it ran a stop sign at the intersection of Valley Street.
The complaint said the car stopped in the driveway of a house in the 700 block of Caldwell Avenue and that when police spoke to the driver, he told them he knew the owner of the house. They also later learned that Porowski gave the officer a false name, according to the complaint.
The owner of the home told police he didn’t know the man in the car, the complaint said.
An officer who had previous encounters with Porowski arrived on scene and identified him, police said.
Police said that when they were taking Porowski out of the car, he tried to grab a baggie out of his waistband, the complaint said.
When officers searched him, they found 3.5 grams of crack cocaine, 7 grams of powder cocaine, a small amount of marijuana, a digital scale with cocaine residue, a glass crack pipe with burned residue and empty baggies for packaging drugs, according to the complaint.
Police said they also confiscated $782 in cash.
In addition to his prior DUI arrest, Porowski pleaded guilty to a felony count of retaliating against a witness in 2019 and was sentenced to 18 to 36 months in prison, according to court records.
He also has a previous conviction for forgery and theft in 2017 for which he was sentenced to 1-2 years in prison.
In 2015 Porowski pleaded guilty to a felony drug charge and was sentenced to 11.5 to 23 months in prison, court records show.