CLEARFIELD – A late juror and legal wrangling took up a fair portion of the first day of a seven day trail for three men accused of drug activity in Clearfield County.
Michael Styers, Charles Gearhart and Maharaji Hemingway are all facing charges in relation to a case dubbed by the Attorney General’s office as “Operation Drive Thru.” The three men are accused of operating a massive cocaine distribution organization in Clearfield County. According to a press release from the Attorney General’s office in 2008, Styers’ operation started bringing large quantities of illegal drugs, which included more than 20 kilograms of cocaine, into the area in 2004. The operation reportedly resulted in drug profits that amounted to millions of dollars.
Opening statements didn’t begin until 10:20 Monday morning, with Deputy AG Dave Gorman. He laid out the prosecutions’ belief that the organization was lead by Styers, with Gearhart serving as his second, and Hemingway as their supplier.
Gearhart’s attorney, Gary Knaresboro, asked jurors to consider whether a witness is telling the truth, and what their state of mind might be. Benjamin Vrobal, Styers’ attorney, noted that this case was announced close to the election, when Corbett was running for AG. He also pointed out that the case was ongoing for nearly four years.
“Mike Styers was caught with nothing,” said Vrobal.
“Thieves, addicts and cowards … that’s who the government is going to bring to you over the next few days,” said Lance Marshall, Hemingway’s defense attorney.
He argued to the jury that Hemingway is not the man the commonwealth believes him to be. He stated that during the commonwealth’s investigation, a man called “Bean” was named by other suspects as the drug supplier for the organization. Marshall said Bean is a black man reportedly from Philadelphia.
“They came up with Maharaji Hemingway,” said Marshall. He touched on periods when Hemingway was incarcerated, and asked the jury to pay attention to those dates. Hemingway faces a count of false imprisonment for allegedly holding a woman related to a man who reportedly owed him money. Marshall said Hemingway was incarcerated during this time, and that he could not have held the woman.
Chief Deputy Robert Snyder was the first of two witnesses fully questioned on day one. He talked about how the case began as an intelligence investigation. He said they were never able to identify any drug activity at the places they were staking out. Snyder said he eventually talked with Agent Dave Jordan of the AG’s Office about the case, and they swapped information.
He indicated that the break in the case came in April 2006, when the Lawrence Township Police Department responded to a burglary in which they encountered a vehicle parked along the road. He said Charles and Danielle Gearhart as well as Rick and Jodi Wilkinson were involved in the incident. During that investigation, Snyder said police found about 9 grams of cocaine.
Snyder also answered questions about other men who were suspected of being suppliers in the case. Snyder said it is not uncommon for dealers to have more than one supplier. He was also asked if suspects can minimize or over-emphasize their importance in a drug case. Snyder indicated that also happens.
Agent Jordan testified next. He explained the Grand Jury process, as well as how his involvement began in the investigation. He said his office initially became involved when they received a letter from an inmate describing Styers’ alleged drug distribution network. He stated he talked to Snyder, who gave him some names to look at. He said in 2006, after the incident in Lawrence Township, he responded to the Lawrence Township Police Department.
Jordan said he eventually spoke with all involved in that incident, and noted that Gearhart initially said the drugs were his, and came from Pittsburgh to State College and eventually to Clearfield. He said Wilkinson told him the drugs were provided by Bean. He said that later, during a second interview and testifying before the Grand Jury, Gearhart said the drugs were provided by Bean.
Jordan testified under cross that no drugs were found on Hemingway when he was taken into custody, nor a cell phone. This caused his attorney to question the charge of criminal use of a communication facility that his client is facing. Jordan indicated the charge came from historical background in the case, in which witnesses described contacting him via cell phone.
The last witness to testify was Kristin Wilsoncroft. She related that she met Bean between 2004-2005. She said she used drugs of all kinds, and that she purchased cocaine from him once or twice. She said she knew Styers, and that at one point she was staying at his place.
She also testified that she did not see any drug sales at Styers’, though people did do cocaine there. She said she used cocaine with Styers. She also said she saw Gearhart there. When asked if he was selling for Styers, she said she didn’t know. She also said she saw no money transactions take place.
She was also questioned about Bean. She said she gave him rides to and from Philadelphia, probably seven times in about a month’s time. She said she was paid with cocaine. She also identified Hemingway in the courtroom as Bean, the man man she gave the rides too.
The prosecution will pick back up with Wilsoncroft on the stand first thing in the morning.