Despite the presence of a clearly marked "Wrong Way" sign, two 16th District patrol officers said they watched Russel drive his red tow truck in the wrong direction down Aspen Street near Haverford Avenue.

The traffic violation couldn't have come at a worse time. Russel - who was convicted on a felony gun possession charge in 2003 - was packing a stolen gun, as well as seven baggies containing $35 worth of marijuana, police said.

Because of his prior conviction, Russel could face an automatic five-year sentence for again illegally possessing a weapon, law enforcement sources said.

Russel - possibly figuring he had nothing to lose - decided to ask for a favor when he was arrested Wednesday.

"When he was being transported, he made a statement to the officers that he knew he couldn't do anything about the gun, but he wondered if they could throw out the weed," said Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives.

The officers refused to oblige, and charged Russel with weapons violations, possessing a controlled substance and related offenses. He also was saddled with a $50,000 bail.

To make matters worse, Russel, 24, already has a host of unresolved legal troubles. According to court records, he's due in court on Jan. 18 to face aggravated assault charges that stemmed from being involved in a fight that turned into a fatal shooting at a University City strip club in November.

Records show that Russel is supposed to be back in court on Jan. 24 to face charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest from a separate November incident.

"It's ironic that a male who was involved in a fatal shooting incident is now showing up again, carrying weapons on public streets without a license," Walker said.

Russel, of Ardsley Road near Lennox in Upper Darby, has a history of frequent brushes with the law.

The first came in June 2003, when he was busted for carrying a firearm without a license. He was sentenced to three years and three days of probation.

In March 2004, Russel was arrested in West Philly after police found marijuana, crack cocaine and two guns - one of which had been reported stolen in North Carolina - in his Chevrolet Tahoe, according to police records. The felony gun violation charges were all later dismissed.

He was stopped several times in 2006 and last year on charges that ranged from driving without a license to lacking valid inspection stickers, records show.

According to a police report, Russel works for One Stop Auto Body, on 62nd Street near Master in West Philly. The company did not return phone calls from the Daily News.

Russel had his most serious brush with the law shortly after midnight on Nov. 27, when he and several friends were involved in a messy dispute at Wizards Bar on Chestnut Street near 38th.

According to a police report, one of Russel's companions exposed himself to a female employee at the strip club and was quickly involved in a bottle- and barstool-tossing fight.

Police said the fight ended when Larry Sanders, 23, one of Russel's friends, shot and critically wounded a disc jockey. Sanders was subsequently shot and killed by a University of Pennsylvania police officer.

Given all of his activity, one might think Russel would try laying low for a while.

But when the two patrol cops stopped Russel on Wednesday, a loaded .40-caliber Glock was hanging out of his sweatshirt pocket in plain sight, with the marijuana to boot, Walker said. The weapon was found to have been reported stolen in Hart County, Georgia.

"He's in the business of towing cars, but it also appears he's most likely in the business of selling narcotics," Walker said.

Time will tell if Russel will soon be out of both businesses altogether. *