Edward Hammons. Contributed photo.
A man who threw money out the window of his car as he tried to elude police more than four years ago has pleaded guilty to a drug charge.
The case originated on July 22, 2020, when Brookfield police saw a car driven by Edward L. Hammons III, 24, of Greenville, driving at 1 a.m. without headlights on Route 62. Police attempted to pull the car over but it went into Sharon, where three people jumped out on Logan Avenue, and then the car went back into Masury on Warren Sharon Road, police said.
“There were objects being thrown from the passenger window of which was clearly money and also what looked like plastic bags consistent with packaged drugs,” Cpl. Gerald Hockey said in his report.
Police followed Hammons into Vienna and Howland, where he merged onto Route 82. Hammons drove through Warren on Market Street, merging onto Route 422, police said. Hammons failed to make a turn in Warren Township, was hemmed in by police cruisers and was arrested.
Police said they found cocaine and more than $1,000 in the car.
Hammons initially was charged with felony failing to comply with a police order, pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 5 years of probation.
In 2021, after the drug found in Hammons’ car was tested, he was charged with felony possession of cocaine. Proceedings began in Trumbull County Eastern District Court but he failed to show up for a hearing in April 2022 and a bench warrant was issued. He was extradited from Mercer County, where he had been charged with a series of thefts, to Trumbull in February.
On March 6, Hammons appeared in Eastern District Court and pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of attempted possession of drugs. Judge Marty Nosich sentenced Hammons to the 17 days he had spent in Trumbull County Jail, a $200 fine and 1 year of probation.
