Lewes man arrested on drug charges following traffic stop

LEWES, Del. – Delaware State Police arrested a Lewes man during a traffic stop Wednesday afternoon.

Troopers say at around 1:45 p.m., a traffic stop was initiated on 50-year-old Jason Bender, after he was seen driving on westbound Lewes-Georgetown Highway. Troopers knew he had a suspended/revoked license, and when they made contact with Bender, they saw heroin baggies inside the vehicle.

A subsequent search led police to find 1.652 grams of suspected heroin (236 bags), 2.98 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 2.97 grams of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and more than $1,000 in suspected drug money.

After the vehicle search, troopers contacted the Delaware State Police Sussex Drug Unit (SDU) and Governor’s Task Force, obtaining a search warrant for Bender’s residence in the 34000 block of Bookhammer Landing Road. This search led to the discovery of 738 baggies (approximately 5.166 grams) of heroin, approximately .58 grams of methamphetamine, and 6.48 grams of marijuana.

Bender was subsequently arrested and charged with four counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in a tier 3 quantity, tampering with physical evidence, seven counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, driving while suspended or revoked, and private use/consumption of marijuana.

He was held at SCI on $82,801 cash only bond.