DUBOIS – A DuBois woman will stand trial for allegedly giving beer to minors and offering to pay one of them to withhold information from police.
Stephanie Marie Fultz, 31, 42 W. Scribner Ave., DuBois, currently an inmate of state prison, was charged by DuBois City police with a felony count of intimidation of witness, a felony count of corruption of minors, indecent exposure, two misdemeanor counts of corruption of minors and three counts of sell or furnishing malt or brewed beverages to minors in relation to an incident at her apartment on Aug. 7.
After a preliminary hearing Friday, the felony count of corruption of minors and the indecent exposure charges were dismissed. District Judge Patrick Ford sent the other charges on to the court of common pleas.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, police were investigating a report of a theft by Fultz when they arrived at her apartment on Aug. 7. Her apartment door was open and after announcing themselves as police officers, they saw Fultz and a male appear out of a room to the left of the stairs. Fultz emitted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage and was holding a can of beer.
Upon entering, the officers also made contact with two other juvenile males. A case of beer was on the living room floor and multiple empty cans were on the floor, tables and in the kitchen sink. Both males were asked how much they had to drink. All three males admitted they had consumed some of the beer.
One of the males provided a written statement to police on Aug. 9, advising Fultz had provided the alcohol for them. He said she called him into the restroom at one point during the night. When he opened the door, she had her pants completely down, fully exposing herself to him.
He left the bathroom and she approached him, saying “no, it’s OK.” She then hugged him and stated “I don’t care if you’re 15, just don’t get me for rape.”
The day following the incident he received numerous calls from Fultz. When he answered she offered to pay him two, different amounts of money, $400 and then $800 to withhold information from police. She wanted him to say he was already drunk when he arrived at her apartment.
Another one of the males provided a statement saying, that she purchased and supplied the beer. He said he also knew that Fultz had offered the other male money to withhold information.
Fultz was on probation in Jefferson County at the time of the incident. Her probation was revoked in November and she was sentenced to 18 months to three years in state prison.
