CLEARFIELD – A Pittsburgh woman devastated at the thought of going to jail tried to jump from a second-story window in the Clearfield County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
Nicolette Joann Holzer, 35, 49 Albert St., Pittsburgh, was in motions court for two routine motions in two drug cases. President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman placed her on supervised bail and she left the courtroom to discuss this with a probation officer.
Later, that officer, Steve Gillespie, returned to the courtroom to advise Ammerman that Holzer had failed a drug test, and she admitted to him she used methamphetamine last Thursday. Ammerman decided to revoke her bail.
Shortly after Gillespie left the room, the loud sound of shattering glass was heard along with loud cries and sobbing. A security officer who reentered the courtroom told Ammerman that she had tried to jump from the window in the courthouse play room.
Ammerman commented that revoking her bail was obviously the right thing to do for her.
Emergency Services personnel were called to treat Holzer, and she was taken to Penn Highlands Clearfield Hospital for further examination.
Holzer is charged with a felony count of manufacture/delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, hindering apprehension, criminal conspiracy and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Holzer’s bail had been revoked and re-set at $350,000 on Jan. 7. She posted that amount Jan. 11.
At that bail hearing Holzer’s attorney, Daniel Koniecza stated in her defense that she has been doing well in a rehabilitation program.
According to grand jury testimony filed with the criminal complaint, Holzer was with Robert Selfridge, 35, of 118 N. Church St., DuBois, on July 28 at a motel in Allegheny County where he was taken into custody.
Selfridge, who had been cooperating with an investigation of drug activity, failed to turn himself in on gun charges and to attend a hearing in Clearfield County.
When he couldn’t be located, Holzer was questioned as to Selfridge’s whereabouts. She confirmed she had talked to him. She was advised that if she had any further contact she was to call the authorities. She failed to do so.
Later when they were caught at the motel he had in his possession a gram of methamphetamine, $2,136 in cash, and a shotgun shell. Bags taken from his motel room contained four bags of crystal methamphetamine, black tar heroin, a shotgun, drug packaging materials, glassine bags, marijuana and forged identification with Selfridge’s photo.
In a second case, Holzer, is charged with two felony counts of manufacture/delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, dealing in proceeds of unlawful acts and criminal use of communication facility.
According to that affidavit of probable cause, on Oct. 5 an undercover officer and an agent of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office were investigating an individual caught with methamphetamine and more than $8,000 in cash. This individual told them he/she was selling the drugs for Holzer. Two days earlier this person had gotten three ounces of methamphetamine to sell from Holzer, who was expecting payment of $4,650 for it.
The individual became a confidential informant and a meeting was set up with Holzer in a DuBois grocery store parking lot.
Holzer and another man showed up in a black vehicle that had been previously described by the informant. The informant then met with Holzer and gave her an envelope with $1,505 in it. Holzer told the informant that she had not been able to make a connection with a person in California who was her source of methamphetamine. She said the passenger in the vehicle would be able to do this.
Police then executed a stop of the vehicle and arrested all three participants.
Selfridge is charged with two counts each of manufacture/delivery/possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, possession of firearms prohibited, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of drug paraphernalia as well as flight to avoid apprehension and default in required appearance.
Originally, Selfridge was arrested at a hotel in DuBois after authorities responded to an activated fire alarm in February. Selfridge was seen leaving the room with two bags of luggage, which he put into a vehicle. When the bags were searched, officers found 77.51 grams of methamphetamine, more than $10,000 in cash, three handguns, and 160 various pills. These items were packaged in a manner consistent with drug distribution.
