A Schuylkill County woman and a Williamsport man are jailed on drug trafficking charges after Minersville police say a traffic stop early this morning turned up about 12 ounces of suspected methamphetamine.
Kalie Horak, 35, of Pottsville, and Thomas Smith, 46, of Williamsport, are each charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy, drug possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both are in Schuylkill County Prison on $100,000 bail each.
Police in Minersville say they were responding to a call for an unwanted person in the 600 block of Sunbury St. shortly before 4 a.m. Friday when a silver two-door coupe passed in front of them and made an abrupt move to the side of the road once the marked patrol car got behind it.
The officer ran the car’s Pennsylvania registration plate, which came back to a Jeep with an expired registration, police say.
After clearing the Sunbury St. call, the officer was passed again by the same coupe and confirmed the plate, police say. He pulled out to stop the car, which police say appeared to be traveling faster than normal. The officer said the roads were wet and he reached about 75 mph in a 45 mph zone to catch up.
Police stopped the car as it traveled west on Route 901 approaching Woodside Rd.
The driver, identified as Smith, could not provide valid registration or proof of insurance, and a check showed his driving privileges were suspended for DUI, according to police. Police say Smith told the officer the car did not belong to him and that he had picked it up in the Pottstown area. The officer also noted the car’s inspection had expired in March 2023.
Police say Smith told the officer his license was suspended and that he was on probation and had been clean for three years. He said the car belonged to someone whose last name he could not remember, police say. A check of the vehicle identification number showed the car, a 2001 Mercedes-Benz SLK230, was registered to a Williamsport man, with a registration that expired at the end of 2023.
Horak, the passenger, told the officer her license had expired and she never renewed it. A check showed her license was expired and suspended for a drug-related DUI, and that she had an active warrant out of Northumberland County, according to police.
Minersville Police requested backup, citing the isolated location of the stop, what he described as unusual and suspicious driving, both occupants’ history of drug use, and their nervous demeanor. State Police troopers were dispatched.
Horak was asked to step out of the car, and after Schuylkill County 9-1-1 confirmed her warrant, she was placed in the back of the patrol car.
Police say Smith gave verbal consent to search the car but told the officer a black purse on the passenger-side floor belonged to Horak and that her consent would be needed to search it. When asked, Horak shook her head in an unclear manner, then agreed to the search when the officer asked her to clarify.
Once troopers arrived, police say the officer found a small smoking device with burnt marijuana residue behind the passenger seat, along with rolling papers and two small joints in the ashtray. Inside Horak’s purse, police say he found a clear plastic bag holding a small amount of a white crystal-like substance.
In the trunk, police say they found a black nylon zippered bag holding three clear plastic bags of a large off-white crystalline substance suspected to be methamphetamine. The bags were packaged in a manner consistent with distribution.
Smith was then handcuffed. When an officer showed him the bag, Smith looked at Horak and made comments implying the suspected methamphetamine was hers, police say.
The suspected methamphetamine weighed about 12 ounces, and a field test of a sample was positive for methamphetamine, according to police. The substances will be sent to the State Police crime lab for identification and weighing.
Horak is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to sell a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy to possess drug paraphernalia.
Smith is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, and conspiracy to possess drug paraphernalia. He also faces summary offenses of allowing illegal use of a registration plate, driving without required financial responsibility, operating a vehicle without a valid inspection, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Both were arraigned Friday morning and are scheduled for preliminary hearings Nov. 2 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis.
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