RICHLAND CO.— If it wasn’t for the revenue generated by illegal drug activity in the county, which state’s attorney David Hyde, his assistant Todd Reitz, who was run out of Lawrence County, and sheriff Andrew Hires count on to fill county coffers, Richland’s budgetary problems would be even worse.
Pot
Patti M. Marceau, 42, of 1116 South West St., #43, Olney has been charged with one count each of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, Unlawful Possession of Cannabis less than 2.5 grams and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Authorities say that on January 30 at her residence Marceau was in possession of cocaine, marijuana and two glass smoking pipes.
Marceau was released from custody February 1, after a $1,500 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Joyce Waters of 116 East Glenwood St., Olney.
Repeat meth offender
Mark J. Kocher, 31, of South Richland St., Olney, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine after authorities say on February 1, at his South Richland St. address he had in his possession less than five grams of meth.
Kocher was sentenced to 18 months probation after a 2010 conviction for Theft.
In 2011 he received a two-year probation sentence after pleading guilty to Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine less than five grams and Domestic Battery.
It remains to be seen if anything meaningful will be done in Kocher’s more recent case.
Cash bond has been set in the case at $5,000.
More meth
Angel E. Phipps, 36, of Olney, faces a single count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine after authorities say on Feb. 1, she was at her 1018 East North Ave., home in Olney when she was found to be in possession of less than five grams of meth.
Phipps gained notoriety in an article last month (which can only be found on the e-Edition at www.disclosurenewsonline. com) regarding her errant young teen daughter, who birthed a multi-named baby girl last year at age 13 and subsequently got into a pissing contest with the 16-year-old father, resulting in Orders of Protection flying earlier this year, with the young boy proclaiming that the baby girl, who’s more than a year old now, was in a bad environment, living with the teen and her mother (Phipps).
Phipps was released from custody after a $1,500 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Charlotte Williams of 239 East North. There’s been little indication of whether the baby may have been removed from the home following Phipps’ arrest, as oftentimes children are when meth is involved.
OP violation and some pot
Jason W. Mattoon, 32, of 1118 Willow Dr., Olney, has been charged with one count each of Driving Revoked, Unlawful Possession of Cannabis less than 2.5 grams, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Violation of an Order of Protection.
According to information filed in the case, on or about Feb. 5 in the 800 block of West Lafeyette, Olney, Mattoon operated a red 1988 Jeep without an MDDP (ignition interlock device) after he had been ordered not to drive without one as part of a first offender DUI program.
He is also said to have been found in possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and in violation of an order of protection by being at 124 East Monroe.
Mattoon was released from custody after a $1,500 cash bond was posted on his behalf by Rex Mattoon of 800 West Lafayette, Olney.
Meth and manufacturing materials
Jeffrey W. Pittman, 51, of 6072 East Mt. Pleasant Lane has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacture Materials and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
According to information filed in the case, on Feb. 11, Pittman was at his Mt. Pleasant Lane home when authorities found him to be in possession of less than five grams of meth, coffee filters, ammonium nitrate, lye and funnels with intent to manufacture meth and a glass smoking pipe.
Pittman was sentenced to two years probation after a guilty plea in 2005 to Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication).
Cash bond in his most recent case has been set at $10,000.
Meth, pot and a pipe
Kelly R. Evans, 19, of 3958 North Elmdale Rd., Apt. U, Olney, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis.
According to court documents, Evans, sporting an Arizona driver’s license, was found at the apartment on Feb. 11 in possession of less than five grams of meth, less than 2.5 grams of pot and a blue glass pipe.
Evans was released from custody after a $1,500 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Sherrie Chastain, of Olney.
Meth with a history
Richard Bahl, 49, of 6091 East Dundas Lane, Olney, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Court documents indicate that on Feb. 13, driving a 2005 Ford truck, at West Main and Woodlawn Streets in Olney, Bahl was the subject during which authorities say they found less than five grams of meth and a light bulb with holes melted in the glass, with residue, with intent to use said light bulb to introduce a controlled substance into his body.
In 2006 Bahl was arrested and charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine less than five grams and Driving Under the Influence. The drug charge was reduced to Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
He pleaded guilty to the DUI and paraphernalia charges and was sentenced to one year probation.
It appears giving him a break on the meth charge didn’t serve as much of a deterrent.
It remains to be seen if Reitz or Hyde will actually make any meaningful progress this time around.
They did rake in more than $6,000 in fines and fees from the 2006 case.
Bahl was released from custody in his most recent arrest after forking over $1,500 for bond.
Meth and the boot camp grad
Warren Scott Hallbeck, 33, has been charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.
Court documents indicate that Hallbeck was the subject of a traffic stop Feb. 23, driving a 1994 Chevy passenger car at 7:07 p.m. in the 800 block of East Main in Olney.
Subsequent to that traffic stop, authorities say they found less than five grams of meth in Hellbeck’s possession for which he was issued a citation.
Hallbeck served a four-year sentence in IDOC/boot camp after a 2000 conviction for Residential Burglary.
Pills with meth past
Jeanne A. Fritschle, 55, of 121 Magnolia St., Olney has been charge with one count of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance.
According to information filed in the case, on Feb. 25, at 10:12 a.m., Fritschle was discovered at her home to be in possession alprazolam.
At the time of her arrest, Fritschle was serving a 2013 sentence of two years probation following a conviction of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.
She was released from custody after a $2,000 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Kamryn Schmitt, of the same Magnolia Drive, Olney address.
Meth precursors
Cody J. Shultz, 20, has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Precursors after authorities say on December 31, 2013 he possessed pseudoephedrine in standard dose for with intent it be used to manufacture meth.
Cash bond in the case has been set at $2,500.
Sex offender failing to register
With three arrests so far this year alone, convicted sex offender Matthew D. Tomlinson, 33, of 252 East South Ave., Noble, has had what appears to be a difficult time adjusting to living in the area.
Tomlinson was arrested first Feb. 3 and charged with being an Out of State Sex Offender Failing to Register, Driving Under the Influence and Driving with a Blood Alcohol Content Level of .08 or greater.
That case is still pending.
Tomlinson was charged Feb. 21 with being a Sex Offender with No Fixed Address.
That case is still pending.
Hyde seems to be wont to prosecute sex offenders who don’t bother to register; and given this proclivity, it is unclear if anything will be done with any of the cases. Cash bond was set by judge Larry Dunn at $5,000.
Damaged windows after DUI
Josiah Joshua Charles Coates, 22, of 916 West Elm St., Olney, has been charged with one count of Criminal Damage to Property after authorities say on or about Feb. 26, at the residence of Kimberly McCoy, located at 726 West Cherry, he damaged two glass windows valued in excess of $300.
Coates has a pending case following an arrest Feb. 21, during which he was charged with Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol, Driving Without a License and Unlawful Transportation of Alcohol.
A $1,000 cash bond has been set in the case.
“With all the fines and fees drugs arrests generate, it’s no wonder why they don’t want to fight the drug war too hard,” said one of Hires’ more vocal critics. “I’d like to know when it became all about the money and not serving and protecting the public from what drugs do to communities.”