OIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) — A Venango County man waived his preliminary hearing on Wednesday on charges related to an alleged trade of crystal meth for an air rifle.

Court documents indicate the following charges against 42-year-old Robert H. Boyer, of Oil City, were waived for court on Wednesday, January 9:

• Criminal Conspiracy Engaging — Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
• Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to Manufacture or Deliver, Felony
• Intentional Possession Controlled Substance By Per Not Registered, Misdemeanor
• Use/Possession Of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor

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

Boyer remains lodged in the Venango County Jail on $25,000.00 cash bail.

Details of the case:

According to a criminal complaint filed by Oil City Police Patrolman Deloe, the investigation began after police received information related to the suspected transfer of a gun to Robert Boyer, who is prohibited from possessing firearms.

While preparing to execute a search warrant at Boyer’s Walnut Street home, officers observed a vehicle leaving the residence. A traffic stop was conducted and Boyer was found to be in the front passenger seat of the vehicle.

Patrolman Deloe, Patrolman Ruditis, and Chief Robert Wenner spoke with the driver who stated that the gun delivered on January 2 was an air rifle. He also told the officers that Steven Spence traded the air rifle to Boyer in exchange for methamphetamine.

When police asked the driver why he was at Boyer’s residence, the driver stated that he was there to facilitate the delivery of methamphetamine by Boyer to Spence. Boyer was taken into custody at that time.

Officers executed a search on Boyer’s home around 1:42 p.m. and located a black air rifle and a black box containing digital scales, syringes, and a small amount of suspected crystal methamphetamine.

The items, including the air rifle, were photographed and seized as evidence.

Field tests confirmed that the substance was methamphetamine.

Boyer was arraigned at 3:25 p.m. on Thursday, January 3, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish.

Spence was arraigned at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday, January 6, in Magisterial District Judge Andrew F. Fish’s office, on one felony count of conspiracy possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of a controlled substance.

Court documents indicate Spence pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor possession charge, and the felony conspiracy charge was withdrawn, on Wednesday, January 9.

Spence was sentenced to 12 months state supervision consecutive to his sentence for a disorderly conduct charge from a December 11, 2016 incident.

It’s unclear if charges will be filed against the driver of the vehicle.