CLEARFIELD – Four people suspected of being involved with drug activities were scheduled for preliminary hearings on Wednesday.
Kayla Nichole Rauch, 30, of Clearfield has been charged by Trooper Shane T. Murarik of the Rockview-based state police with felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy.
Rauch has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bail has been set at $50,000 monetary.
Chelsea Marie Kephart, 35, of Osceola Mills has been charged with felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy.
Kephart has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia, plus two summaries. Her bail has been set at $50,000 unsecured.
Brandon Charles Lefort, 21, of Osceola Mills has been charged with felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy.
Lefort has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail has been set at $10,000 unsecured.
Clinton Thomas Guthrie, 35, of Osceola Mills has been charged with felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy.
Guthrie has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance and use/possession of drug paraphernalia. His bail has been set at $50,000 unsecured.
Rauch, Kephart, Lefort and Guthrie all waived their rights to preliminary hearings during centralized court Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
The charges stem from a traffic stop that occurred at approximately 10 a.m. Aug. 15 in Osceola Mills Borough, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Jerome Nevling.
Murarik was sitting stationary in his patrol unit on Stumptown Road when he observed a red Ford Ranger. It had two female occupants – Kephart and Rauch – both of whom he thought had possible warrants. Murarik also saw the truck’s brake light was not functioning.
He initiated a traffic stop on Kate Street and identified the driver as Kephart and her front-seat passenger as Rauch, who was taken into custody on an active arrest warrant.
In the rear were two passengers who were identified as Guthrie and Lefort. In plain view, Murarik observed two glass ball pipes with suspected drug residue, a clear tube with drug residue and a syringe cap.
Murarik conducted a probable cause search of the truck, which yielded approximately one ounce of suspected methamphetamine, two scales, numerous baggies and paraphernalia, suspected black tar heroin and numerous pills.
Murarik found that the amount of drugs was consistent with the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. The suspected methamphetamine was NIK tested and returned a positive result.
