CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man accused of purchasing and selling methamphetamine waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Wednesday during centralized court at the Clearfield County Jail.
Evan Duane Schenk, 29, has been charged by Clearfield Borough police with two counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F; criminal use of a communications facility, F3; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities, F1; three counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance, M; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia, M. His bail has been set at $25,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Feb. 17, police conducted a traffic stop during which a male was taken into custody and to the station on several warrants. He agreed to speak with officers about Schenk.
The male told officers he was in possession of methamphetamine and a small, black container was located in his rear pants pocket. Inside the container were small pieces of a white substance. When he was at Schenk’s residence that day, Schenk allegedly gave him a small amount of methamphetamine.
The male said Schenk had a bag containing approximately a quarter of a gram, and he dumped some out into the small container for him. In the dining room, he allegedly observed a box containing several other baggies of methamphetamine and estimated it was an eight-ball, or 3.5 grams.
The male said before police made contact during the traffic stop, he was getting a half of a gram from Schenk, who had just “re-upped” his supply of methamphetamine. He told police Schenk was supposed to be taking the drugs to the area of Mount Zion and selling them Feb. 17.
On Feb. 18, officers executed a search warrant at Schenk’s Merrill Street residence to continue the investigation into his distribution of methamphetamine. Schenk was observed outside of the residence and taken into custody.
When police made entry, they observed four people, including co-defendants Ashley Mick and Janessa Palumbo, in the dining room area. After a search of that area began, a K-9 alerted to items on the table, and police observed a large, silver metal container. When it was opened, police found multiple items of paraphernalia.
During the search, police observed several cell phones on the dining room table, suspected methamphetamine and paraphernalia. All of the items were seized and entered in as evidence
When police opened a black container, it allegedly contained multiple bags with a white crystal substance. There was also a small bag containing a green, leafy substance; a small container of three orange pills identified as Hydrocodone bitartrate; and $90 in U.S. Currency.
It was found the methamphetamine in this container had a total weight of approximately 2 grams, which has a street value of $480. The white crystal substance was tested and showed positive for methamphetamine.
When police spoke to the male again at county jail, he said that on Feb. 16 he got a quarter of a gram of methamphetamine from Schenk. It was “fronted” to him and the next day, he paid Schenk $40 for it.
Police spoke to Mick, who was at Schenk’s house at the time of the search warrant. She said she observed Schenk with baggies of methamphetamine when she got there Feb. 17, and he was messing with a silver case that was on the table.
The day before, she said she was with Schenk and he used her phone to text a guy. They went to Buck’s Pizza where the guy came out a side door. She said Schenk had $400 and got an eight-ball, or 3.5 grams, of methamphetamine.
Mick told police she didn’t know Schenk was doing this until she read the messages on her phone. On Feb. 18, police were given consent from Mick and Palumbo to search their cell phones, which were seized. In both phones, police observed messages in which Schenk arranged to purchase and sell controlled substances.
According to the affidavit, messages included Schenk telling Palumbo to get him a “ball of stuff,” Palumbo asking if Schenk will do “$20 bags” and Schenk telling Mick they can wait for a guy with cash before making a move. There was also a conversation between Schenk and co-defendant Scott Hockenberry about a drug transaction involving an eight-ball of methamphetamine.
On Feb. 20, police spoke with a male who said he was to go to Schenk’s residence Feb. 17 and buy a half of a gram. He said the price was $50 per quarter of a gram.
In a separate case, Schenk also waived charges filed by Clearfield Borough police, which included conspiracy/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, F, and intentional possession of a controlled substance, M. For this, his bail has been set at $25,000 monetary.
