57-year-old found with suspected heroin in ‘wax paper folds’. Second active warrant for defiant trespass. Bench warrant issued after failure to appear

EAST STROUDSBURG — Police are searching for a 57-year-old Stroudsburg man who failed to appear for a court hearing after he was arrested last month at a Burger King, where officers found him passed out in the bathroom with suspected heroin packaged in the distinctive “wax paper folds” common to street-level opioid distribution in Pennsylvania.

James Brian Odonnell faces a bench warrant issued by Magisterial District Judge Michael A. Wolbert after he missed his December 16th preliminary hearing on drug possession and public drunkenness charges. A second active warrant exists for defiant trespass stemming from a September incident in Stroudsburg Borough.

WANTED: James Brian Odonnell

• Age: 57 (DOB: 05/14/1968)
• Race/Sex: White male
• Height/Weight: 6’0″, 180 lbs
• Hair/Eyes: White / Blue
• Last Known Address: Stroudsburg, PA 18360

According to Stroud Area Regional Police, officers were dispatched to the Burger King at 290 Lincoln Avenue around 10:33 p.m. on November 23, 2025. A caller reported a man passed out in the restaurant’s bathroom.

Officers identified the unconscious man as Odonnell. During a search incident to arrest, police discovered drug paraphernalia and wax paper folds containing a white powder suspected to be heroin in his possession.

What Are ‘Wax Paper Folds’?

The “wax paper folds” — also called “stamp bags” in law enforcement parlance — are small packets commonly used to package individual doses of heroin and fentanyl for street sales in Pennsylvania and throughout the Northeast. Drug dealers sometimes stamp the packets with graphical logos to market their products and establish brand recognition.

Public health researchers have used analysis of stamp bag contents as an early warning system for dangerous adulterants entering the drug supply. A University of Pittsburgh study found that fentanyl — which is 20 to 50 times more potent than heroin — went from nonexistent in tested stamp bags in 2014 to present in more than one in seven by 2016.

Today, most heroin sold on the street contains fentanyl or fentanyl analogs, and increasingly xylazine, a veterinary tranquilizer that has been linked to severe tissue damage in users. Pennsylvania saw a 22-fold increase in xylazine-involved overdose deaths between 2018 and 2023, according to state data.

Two Active Warrants

Odonnell now faces two open criminal cases in Monroe County:

Case 1: Drug Possession (MJ-43202-CR-0000366-2025)

Filed November 24, 2025, following the Burger King arrest. Charges include intentional possession of a controlled substance, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, and public drunkenness. Bail was set at $1,000 unsecured and posted. A preliminary hearing originally scheduled for December 2nd was continued to December 16th. Odonnell failed to appear, triggering the bench warrant.

Case 2: Defiant Trespass (MJ-43201-CR-0000305-2025)

Filed October 28, 2025, for an alleged incident on September 27, 2025, in Stroudsburg Borough. The charge — defiant trespass with actual communication — is a third-degree misdemeanor indicating Odonnell allegedly entered or remained on property after being told to leave. A certified summons was returned undeliverable before first-class mail was accepted on November 25th. A preliminary hearing scheduled for December 18th before Magisterial District Judge Kristina Anzini was cancelled.

Court records show Odonnell requested a public defender in the drug case.

How to Submit a Tip:

Visit monroe.crimewatchpa.com/sarpd or contact Stroud Area Regional Police Department at 100 Day Street, East Stroudsburg, PA 18301.

All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Case References:

• Drug charges: MJ-43202-CR-0000366-2025, Reference ID 2025-028407
• Defiant trespass: MJ-43201-CR-0000305-2025, Reference ID 2025-023551

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, Pennsylvania’s Get Help Now helpline is available 24/7 at 1-800-662-4357. Narcan (naloxone) is available without a prescription at most pharmacies.