Cops: Penn Hills woman stopped on turnpike carrying 550 bricks of heroin
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State police stopped a Penn Hills woman on Wednesday for driving erratically on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County. Soon, troopers reported that they discovered she was transporting a stash of heroin with a street value of more than $500,000.
Sarena V. Howard, 34, was pulled over around 1:30 p.m. in Mt. Pleasant Township, according to court records.
Trooper Glenn Adams reported he was patrolling the westbound lanes of the turnpike near milepost 80, east of the New Stanton interchange, when he saw a 2019 Ford Fusion switching lanes in an erratic manner for two miles and “travelling too closely” to vehicles ahead of her.
After she was stopped, troopers learned her driver’s license was suspended, court documents said.
Howard, who was acting nervous, consented to a vehicle search, Adams reported. Troopers found 550 bricks of suspected heroin in a black backpack in the rear seat. That amount is equal to 27,500 stamp bags of heroin.
Court documents show Howard posted $10,000 bond and was released from the county jail on Thursday. She is charged with manufacturing and delivery of a controlled substance.
Howard could not be reached for comment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 20.