A Trumbauersville man is in Montgomery County jail after a chance meeting with an Upper Perk Police officer in a parking lot.

        According to court documents filed in Red Hill District Court, Ian T. Somes, 34, was arrested Sunday just before midnight after he met up with an Upper Perk officer on routine patrol in the Pennsburg Square Shopping Center in the 400 block of Pottstown Avenue in Pennsburg.

        The officer said he went to check on Somes, who he identified after speaking to him, while he was sitting in the driver's seat of a red Ford Ranger parked in front of PC Pub, police said.  Authorities said Somes got out of the truck and told police he was waiting to meet people in the parking lot.  After the officer found out Somes' driver's license was suspended, police reportedly searched the vehicle.

        Authorities allegedly found 43 bags of heroin, a small amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, two cell phones and $244 in cash.  During a subsequent interview, police said Somes admitted he was in the parking lot to sell someone several bags of heroin.

        Police said Somes said he had been selling the drug for weeks because he was struggling financially.  A search of his cell phone revealed multiple drug-related text messages arranging meetings and pricing for the heroin, according to court papers.

        Somes was arraigned Monday morning by Judge Catherine Hummel Fried of Red Hill District Court on charges of felony manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, criminal use of a communication facility and dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities, along with two counts of misdemeanor drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia and driving on a suspended license.

        Hummel Fried set bail at $50,000 cash.  Somes was remanded to Montgomery County Correctional Facility and awaits an April 6 preliminary hearing at 1:45 p.m. in Red Hill.

        According to court documents, Somes has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2006.  He was released from jail in Oct. 2015 after he was arrested for fleeing state police, Skippack barracks, which violated the conditions of an earlier sentence.  He also did jail time in 2012, after being arrested on felony drug charges for allegedly selling cocaine in Quakertown borough.  He also served jail time in 2013 and 2014 after pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and driving on a suspended license, according to court documents.