Arraigned on charge of drug possession

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A Youngstown man was arraigned this morning on a charge of possession of a controlled substance, even though he had no actual drugs.
Police said Charles Leonard Smith, 18, of 40 Woodbine Ave., was arrested in the parking lot of Jameson South near Reynolds Street at 7:30 p.m. Monday after police were called about gunshots fired in the area.
Smith matched the description of one of two men who ran from the area where shots were fired, they said. When they arrested Smith, they found a pill bottle with 10 individually wrapped pieces of suspected crack cocaine. A test later revealed it was not crack cocaine, but Police Chief Tom Sansone said they were able to file charges because of a subsection in the drug law that permits charges when a counterfeit substance meant to represent crack cocaine is found.