DUBOIS – A DuBois couple accused of possessing a stolen gun and drugs waived their rights to preliminary hearings Friday during centralized court.
Hazen L. McCartney, 20, is charged with felony counts of firearms not to be carried without a license, criminal conspiracy/firearms not to be carried without license, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy/receiving stolen property in addition to misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance.
Carrie C. Bish, 20, is charged with felony counts of receiving stolen property, firearms not to be carried without a license, criminal conspiracy/firearms not to be carried and criminal conspiracy/receiving stolen property. Both are free on $5,000, unsecured bail.
According to the affidavits of probable cause, on Oct. 24 police were dispatched to the area of the 600 block of South Main Street in DuBois for a report of a suspicious man and woman carrying drugs and a gun. The caller said the woman had the pistol in her purse and identified the couple as McCartney and Bish.
Police were able to recognize the two as they were walking along West Long Avenue. As the officers spoke with them, Bish kept holding her purse tight to her body and McCartney kept placing his hands in his pockets. They were separated.
Bish was advised of the report and she admitted she had a gun in her purse. She allegedly emptied the rounds out of the gun before pulling it out of the bag. After she turned the 38 caliber revolver over to the officer, she was taken into custody.
A second officer was speaking with McCartney when he challenged why he was being detained. The officer explained the report to him. It was at this point that Bish admitted to having a gun.
The first officer told the second officer to take McCartney into custody, too. As he was searched, the officer found what was identified as four bundles of heroin and a small bag of marijuana, according to the complaint.
McCartney told police that he originally had the gun in his pants pocket but was concerned it was not concealed. He then put it into Bish’s purse. He said a friend loaned him the gun, police reported.
In an interview with police, Bish also stated the McCartney put the gun in her purse, but she didn’t know where he got it.
A search of the gun’s registration revealed the owners who were not aware it was missing. They then reported it stolen.
