EMPORIUM (EC) — An Emporium man is facing additional charges after being found in possession of contraband while being arrested on Friday.
Caleb Smith, 25, of West Sixth Street, Emporium, has been charged with two misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia for items found in his possession during his arrest on unrelated charges.
An affidavit of probable cause on file at Magisterial District Judge Barry Brown’s office at the Cameron County Courthouse said police went to Smith’s residence about 10 a.m. to serve a bench warrant for his failure to appear at a hearing scheduled for the previous day on charges of possession of paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and endangering the welfare of children.
“Smith was found hiding in an attic crawlspace and taken into custody,” the affidavit reads. While being searched a second time at the courthouse, a sheriff’s deputy allegedly “recovered two syringes and 16 white pills with the markings of 2/02 on them” from an inside pocket of Smith’s coat.
A hearing has been scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Nov. 10 on the original charges of endangering the welfare of children and possession. He was arraigned on those charges at the time of his arrest and held in lieu of $25,000 bail. He will appear at 11 a.m. Dec. 1 on the new possession of paraphernalia charges.
Smith and a co-defendant, Jenna Rockey, 24, of Emporium, are both charged with counts related to theft of moveable property for an incident that occurred in mid-October.
Smith faces felony counts of dealing in the proceeds of unlawful activities and knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act and misdemeanor counts of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. Rockey faces the same two felony counts plus two misdemeanor counts of receiving stolen property.
The affidavit of probable cause on file at Brown’s office indicates that police were alerted to the theft of a Nintendo 3DS video game system.
The affidavit states that Emporium Borough Police Officer Patrick Straub recognized Smith to be the seller on the surveillance tape obtained from Game Stop in St. Marys, and asked the victim if Smith had ever been at his residence. The victim said that Smith is a relative of his roommate and was in the apartment when the victim arrived home. The victim stated that Smith was “in his house passed out with a syringe next to him,” when the victim arrived home from work.
Records indicate the victim said that Smith contacted him and admitted to him that he had sold his 3DS at the DuBois Game Stop. Through the investigation, Straub learned that Smith’s accomplice, Rockey, had sold the game system and one game at the DuBois location for $100, according to the affidavit.
Preliminary hearings for both defendants regarding the theft charges have been scheduled for Dec. 1. Smith’s begins at 10 a.m.; Rockey’s at 10:30 a.m.
In addition, Smith faces charges of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, endangering the welfare of children, possession of drug paraphernalia and related counts stemming from a March 2016 incident in which Smith allegedly drove his vehicle into another car along Rich Valley Road/Route 46, just north of Emporium Borough.
Smith was arraigned by Senior Judge Richard Masson in the Court of Common Pleas on those charges and awaits further proceedings for that case.
