NORRISTOWN — An Abington man who was found “passed out” in a vehicle with his cousin at a gas pump at a Wawa in Lower Moreland Township was sent to prison after taking responsibility for a large quantity of cocaine that was found in the vehicle.
Gavin Lewis Saxon, 29, of the 1400 block of St. Charles Place, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 18 to 72 months in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver cocaine in connection with the Jan. 23, 2025, incident that unfolded at the Wawa in the 2500 block of Philmont Avenue in the Huntingdon Valley section of Lower Moreland.
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein recommended that Saxon be incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Chester, where he can be evaluated for admission to the state Department of Corrections’ drug treatment program.
A “brick” of cocaine, specifically 234.5 grams, was found in the Audi vehicle in which Saxon was found in the driver’s seat, according to court papers. With the charge, prosecutors alleged the large amount of cocaine was likely possessed for distribution to others and was not for personal use.
Saxon’s cousin, Joseph Edward Saxon, 24, of the unit block of Spindletree Road, Levittown, Bucks County, took responsibility for a 9mm handgun found in the vehicle.
Joseph Saxon, who was a passenger in the Audi, previously was sentenced last December as part of a plea agreement to 11½ to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of carrying a firearm without a license in connection with the incident. At that time, Joseph Saxon was made eligible for the jail’s work release program while serving his sentence.
With a consecutive three-year period of probation, the sentence means Joseph Saxon will be under court supervision for about five years.
Drug-related charges were dismissed against Joseph Saxon as part of his plea agreement.
The investigation began about 11:20 p.m. Jan. 23, 2025, when Lower Moreland police observed two males “passed out” in an Audi vehicle at a gas pump at the Wawa on Philmont Avenue, according to a criminal complaint filed by Lower Moreland police officers Michael Longo and Sean McCoy.
“At the time, the temperature outside was approximately 18 degrees,” Longo and McCoy wrote in court papers.
Police approached the vehicle to check on the occupants, and Gavin Saxon was identified as the driver, and the passenger was identified as Joseph Saxon.
After waking the two men, police observed Gavin’s speech was slurred, and his movements were lethargic, and that both men exhibited red, bloodshot eyes and “droopy” eyelids, “like they were struggling to keep them open,” police said.
At the same time, police noticed the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle and observed two “smoked marijuana roaches” in the center console, according to the criminal complaint.
During the encounter, police also noticed a Smith & Wesson 9mm firearm on the floor of the vehicle at Joseph Saxon’s feet. Police discovered the firearm had a magazine loaded with 10 rounds of ammunition, and the investigation determined Joseph did not have a permit to carry a firearm, according to the arrest affidavit.
The vehicle was impounded pending investigators obtaining a warrant to search the vehicle.
During the eventual search, police recovered the “brick” of cocaine on the floor of the vehicle. Tests determined the total weight of the cocaine was about 234.5 grams, according to court documents.
Based on the circumstances of the charges, police alleged Gavin Saxon was involved in the possession and sale of controlled substances.