FRANKLIN, Pa. (EYT) — A Franklin man waived his preliminary hearing on Wednesday on criminal trespass and drug possession charges stemming from an incident that occurred at a residence in Franklin.

According to court documents, 31-year-old James Edward Smith, of Franklin, waived his preliminary hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday, March 21.

The following charges have been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas:

– Criminal Trespass-Enter Structure, Felony 3
– Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor (fourteen counts)

Smith remains lodged in the Venango County Jail on $15,000.00 monetary bail.

The case is working its way through the court system.

According to a criminal complaint, around 3:03 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, officers from the Franklin Police Department were dispatched to an apartment on Taylor Street for a report of James Smith attempting to break-in. Upon the officers’ arrival, Smith was not there.

Around 8:34 a.m., Officer Harrah was dispatched to the apartment again for a report from the apartment’s management that James Smith might be in an apartment, which he was not authorized to be in. Management advised that Smith had stayed there with the former tenant, but was never actually on the lease and that the former tenant had turned in the keys to the apartment on March 9 after being evicted. Management stated that the apartment had been vacant since the keys were turned in, but the apartment was left unsecured.

Upon arriving at the apartment, around 8:45 a.m., Officers Harrah and Young were let into the apartment by maintenance workers. They located James Smith in the living room area. On the countertop in the kitchen area, officers located one empty packet of H7 and one empty packet of Mega Zombie, both synthetic marijuana. Officers also located two pop bottles converted into smoking pipes on the living room floor, according to the complaint.

Smith was placed under arrest at 9:07 a.m. and allegedly admitted to having needles on his person for injecting Suboxone.

He was transported to the Franklin Police Department for holding and processing. Upon arrival at the police department, Officer Harrah located nine used syringes and a Craftsman 9mm socket converted into a smoking pipe, containing suspected burnt marijuana residue on Smith’s person, the complaint states.

Smith was arraigned at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13, in Magisterial District Judge Matthew T. Kirtland’s office.