Troopers seize 4.5 ounces of suspected heroin after Sterling traffic stop

Alaska State Troopers say they seized about 4.5 ounces of suspected heroin and two firearms from a truck stopped near Sterling early Friday.

Troopers pulled the truck over around 2 a.m. Sept. 11 and say the driver, 61-year-old John Kuczmarski of Soldotna, had a revoked license and was violating conditions a court had set for his release in a pending felony case. Troopers said they saw signs of drug use and seized the truck; a search warrant carried out later turned up the drugs and guns.

Kuczmarski now faces six counts, according to troopers: a felony accusing him of delivering heroin or holding it to sell, two felony counts of carrying a gun in connection with a drug crime, and three misdemeanors. He is being held at Wildwood Pretrial, with a preliminary hearing set for Sept. 18 in Kenai, and has been represented by a public defender since his arrest.

The charges are accusations. Kuczmarski is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and no response from him appears in the record.