Arnold man sentenced to 7 to 14 years for drug, stolen firearm charges
An Arnold man was sentenced to seven to 14 years in prison in connection with a New Kensington traffic stop a year ago that turned up a stolen handgun and drugs.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears handed down that sentence to Jacquet Rusher Woods, 47, on Friday.
Woods was found guilty by a jury in February of several drug-related offenses, prohibited possession of a firearm and carrying a firearm without a license after a two-day trial.
At 2:45 a.m. March 22, 2024, New Kensington police pulled over a Mercedes SUV driven by Woods for traffic infractions, according to a criminal complaint.
Officers said they found suspected marijuana and cocaine in the vehicle and later found five small plastic bags containing suspected cocaine in Woods’ shirt pocket. Police found 31 grams of suspected marijuana and 6.5 grams of suspected cocaine. An ounce is about 28 grams.
Woods’ driver’s license was expired and suspended.
A .45-caliber handgun was in a bag on the floor in the front passenger side of the SUV, police said.
When checking Woods’ criminal history, police found Woods is a felon who is not allowed to possess a firearm. He was found guilty of aggravated robbery and armed robbery in 1999 and 1998, respectively, in West Virginia, and aggravated assault in Pennsylvania in 2019.
Kellen Stepler is a TribLive reporter covering the Allegheny Valley and Burrell school districts and surrounding areas. He joined the Trib in April 2023. He can be reached at kstepler@triblive.com.
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