A suspicious package left on Schuylkill Avenue in Tamaqua resulted in criminal charges for Shawn William Johnson, 31, of Broad Street in Tuscarora. Johnson was carrying a black box in the 500 block of Schuylkill Avenue on Oct. 9, when he ducked into a wooded area, then came back out without the box. He then left in a black Pontiac.

The box was recovered and opened by police. It contained multiple purple plastic bags, a pill bottle, scale, silver weight and a baggie containing about 15 grams of suspected methamphetamine.When Johnson returned to the area, police were notified.Johnson initially said he was looking for his daughter's ball, which was lost when they were walking in the area earlier in the day.He denied any knowledge of the box until informed that witnesses positively identified him as the man who hid it. He then said he did have the box, but had no knowledge of its contents as he was "hiding it for a friend."He was searched and officers found a purple plastic bag with a white crystal like substance in one of his pockets and $172 in cash.Johnson was arraigned before duty District Judge David Platchko on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bail was set at $25,000 percentage.Unable to post bail, he was lodged in the Schuylkill County Prison in Pottsville.