CLEARFIELD – A Clearfield man is being accused of selling crystal methamphetamine following a mid-July drug bust at his home.
Michael Gearhart, 34, is charged with felony manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, misdemeanor endangering the welfare of children and related offenses.
Gearhart waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court. His bail is currently set at $25,000 monetary.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on July 14, Lawrence Township police officers were requested to assist Clearfield County Probation at a Rut Alley residence.
Contact was made with Amanda Price, 35, of Clearfield, who was outside in a maroon-colored vehicle. She couldn’t tell police why she was there.
Officer Zachary Cowan saw a torch-style lighter, an item commonly-used for consumption of drugs. When asked, she couldn’t tell Cowan why she was in possession of a “meth torch.”
Because the residence was associated with drug activity, Cowan suspected Price was there to purchase drugs and asked her again why she was there.
She said she had just gotten off work and was driven there by her friend, Charles Gearhart, 50, of Clearfield. She was then asked if she had any form of identification, which she did.
During this interaction, Cowan reportedly saw a bag of crystal meth in plain view on the center console. Price was asked to exit the vehicle and determined to have an active warrant in Clarion County.
She was taken into custody at which point she was allegedly found in possession of a bag of crystal meth. Three syringes were also found in the vehicle, police said.
Contact was made with Charles Gearhart, who was found to be on state parole and wearing a dead ankle bracelet. State parole agents were contacted and he was transported to SCI Smithfield.
The homeowners, Michael Gearhart and his significant other, Amber Dunsmore, 26, both of Clearfield, are reportedly known drug users/dealers.
A probation officer advised they’d found numerous items of drug paraphernalia in plain view within the residence, and had discontinued the search.
At the request of Cowan, Officer Elliott Neeper obtained consent to search the residence from Michael Gearhart and Dunsmore. Neeper conducted the search with assistance from probation.
Dunsmore reportedly admitted to police that a small amount of marijuana and an elephant pipe, which was located in the living room, belonged to her.
She also indicated she lived there with Michael Gearhart and their 5-year-old son. When told she can’t have a child around drugs, she became upset and said she didn’t want to lose her child.
A search of Michael Gearhart’s person turned up one clear bag with residue, one clear bag of suspected crystal meth and one silicone container with residue.
Also located was a small amount of marijuana and a glass, elephant pipe with residue that belonged to Dunsmore, police said.
Probation gave Cowan a large quantity of glass pipes that were used for the consumption of crystal meth. Most were found by probation in plain view in the living room area.
All pipes – including those that were broken with sharp edges – were seized and packaged as evidence, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
As the search continued, police located numerous bags – of various sizes – throughout the living area; these bags reportedly contained various amounts of crystal meth.
A gray container located on the computer desk was also opened, and it was determined that each compartment contained various amounts of suspected crystal meth.
Upon further examination, police said it was “visibly noticeable” that the container had a larger amount in each compartment at some point.
In the living area, a black pouch located inside a backpack reportedly contained numerous plastic baggies that are used for the packaging and sale of drugs.
Police also reportedly located a digital scale, a container with one compartment having a clear bag of a large rock of crystal meth and two other compartments had three buprenorphine pills.
A wedding favor bag was located and Michael Gearhart advised it contained scented crystals. This item, police said, was later found to contain one bag with a large amount of crystal meth.
Throughout the living area, numerous containers were located and reportedly determined to have various amounts of residue and crystal meth.
Michael Gearhart was questioned and denied being involved with the sale and distribution of drugs, but Cowan advised he’d previously witnessed a large amount of short-stay traffic at the residence.
He was then asked about the security camera over the computer desk where police found a large quantity of crystal meth, and he said it was in place because they have a child.
Cowan was provided with a bong, numerous pipes and various bags/containers of drug paraphernalia that were located by probation.
Following the search, Michael Gearhart was transported to Clearfield County Jail by probation. Michael Gearhart, Dunsmore and Price were advised on-scene that charges would be filed.
Police also obtained personal information as related to Gearhart’s and Dunsmore’s child, which was turned over to Children, Youth and Family Services.