Man who fled Jeannette traffic stop arraigned on multiple charges

A man who successfully eluded police and search dogs after escaping from an October traffic stop in Jeannette was arraigned Monday.

Lance W. Frederick, 32, of Chester, just outside Philadelphia, was denied bail on charges of fleeing from police, unlawful possession of a firearm, drug possession and related offenses. It appeared from court papers that Frederick was living in the Jeannette area despite his address.

A Jeannette officer on patrol Oct. 8 spotted a Jeep being driven by Frederick, who the officer knew had a suspended drivers license. Frederick gave the officer permission to search the Jeep. The officer reported in court papers that he knew Frederick, from past arrests, had previously used hidden compartments to conceal drugs.

The officer reported finding a compartment that couldn’t be opened under the drivers seat and when he asked Frederick to pop the hood, Frederick got in the SUV and took off on Magee Avenue.

Police caught up with the SUV in Adamsburg where they found it parked and the drivers side door open. A search for Frederick by police dogs, officers, drone and bloodhounds was unsuccessful, according to court papers. A scent was lost at a creek behind a Penn Adamsburg Road home.

After a search of the vehicle, police said they confiscated a loaded handgun, a digital scale and a substance inside the compartment that appeared to be cocaine. The gun was stolen from a Greensburg man, according to court papers.

A warrant was issued for Frederick’s arrest after police filed charges Oct. 12. Jeannette police said Frederick was placed in custody by state police, but did not have details. He was lodged in the Westmoreland County Prison Sunday, according to jail records.

Frederick was not allowed to have a firearm because of past felony convictions. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records in the case. A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 1.

He is awaiting court action in three other drug-related cases filed by Penn Township and Jeannette police related to incidents in 2022 and 2023, according to court records. A bench warrant was issued in at least one of those cases after he failed to show for a hearing.