New Kensington man accused of having 1.5 pounds of liquid meth, stolen gun ordered to trial

A New Kensington man accused of having more than a pound of liquid meth and a stolen pistol when he was pulled over for a traffic violation has been ordered to stand trial.

Joseph Michael Singer Jr., 35, of the 400 block of 10th Street was charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property, carrying a gun without a license and possession of drugs with the intent to deliver along with three lesser drug-related charges and a traffic citation.

On Thursday, he waived his right to a preliminary hearing before District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., who ordered him to stand trial on all of charges in Westmoreland County Court. Formal arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 30.

Singer was being detained in the Westmoreland County jail in lieu of a $50,000 cash bond.

A New Kensington officer pulled Singer over shortly after midnight June 18 for driving a car with a heavily tinted windshield and a missing driver’s-side mirror, according to a criminal complaint.

The officer wrote in the complaint that, during the course of the traffic stop, he found Singer with a container with 1.46 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, which is injected.

A second container also was found with an undisclosed amount of crystal methamphetamine, which typically is smoked.

Methamphetamine is a colorless, odorless synthetic stimulant that is highly addictive, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. It can be made from pseudoephedrine, or Sudafed, an over-the-counter cold medication.

Police also found a Ruger .380-caliber handgun in Singer’s possession that was reported stolen to North Huntingdon police, according to his arrest papers.