August 1, 2018
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
One person has pleaded guilty to drug charges while police are searching for another on the same felony charges.
The Beckham County man and woman were both charged with two counts, each, of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute.
34-year-old Jessica Ryan Crouse pleaded guilty last week to her charges and received a five year deferred sentence on both charges of possession of a CD with intent to distribute. She was additionally fined $500 and charged court costs and told to remain employed and have no contact with the man also charged, her boyfriend.
Elk City Police are still looking for him, 35-year-old Christopher Don Smith who is wanted on a $50-thousand dollar warrant for the same charges.
In August of last year, officers executed a search through a no-knock warrant at the home of the couple making entry through an unlocked front door when they announced their presence.
According to a probable cause affidavit, when officers arrived at the home located in the 400 block of MacArthur Boulevard in Elk City they could see the Crouse and Smith through the front window running toward the back of the house. Crouse was detained in the kitchen while Smith was pursued outside the home and into a shed on the property where he was arrested. There officers allegedly found a small amount of marijuana and more on his person along with $181 in cash.
Another person found in the home, a male suspect, was detained, but no listing exists of a charge being leveled against him according to online court records.
Officers allegedly found marijuana in plastic wrapping, digital scales with methamphetamine and marijuana residue, baggies, an altered BB gun, pre-packaged marijuana, another larger bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia including smoking pipes and syringes.
In interviews, Crouse admitted she used drugs and Smith allegedly admitted to buying and selling meth and marijuana.
Neither were placed under arrest at the time, but were charged two weeks later with the felonies.
Crouse has no prior felony convictions while Smith pleaded guilty in 2011 to trafficking in illegal drugs, possession of a controlled substance with intent and possession of a CDS.
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