The Olympic Peninsula Narcotics Enforcement Team has been busy in recent weeks, making several arrests and seeing investigations completed with sentences in Clallam County Superior Court.
McDaniel, Melcer are sentenced in heroin case
Travis D. McDaniel, 35, and Katherine M. Melcer, 34, both of Carlsborg, recently were sentenced to serve 20 months total confinement in state prison to be followed by 20 months of community custody.
McDaniel pled guilty on Nov. 18 to delivery of heroin, a felony committed on Dec. 6, 2013.
Melcer pled guilty on Nov. 4 to delivering heroin on Dec. 5, Dec. 6 and Dec. 10 of 2013.
McDaniel’s previous criminal history includes convictions for possession of a stolen firearm, burglary, and theft, as well as four convictions for possession of a controlled substance.
Melcer’s previous criminal history includes a conviction for possession of methamphetamine and two convictions for possession of heroin.
Melcer and McDaniel were arrested on April 9, 2014, during a traffic stop in Jefferson County. At that time, both were wanted on multiple arrest warrants out of Clallam County. Also, during the several months before the stop, the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Bureau and OPNET developed probable cause to believe that Melcer and McDaniel delivered heroin.
Simmons sentenced in methamphetamine case
Kenneth Francis Simmons, 50, of Clallam County, was sentenced to 24 months community custody and three to six months of drug treatment after he pled guilty on Oct. 29 to possessing stolen property in the first degree and two counts of delivery of methamphetamine.
Simmons’ guilty plea is the result of an investigation during which OPNET members developed probable cause to believe that Simmons delivered methamphetamine to OPNET on at least three different days. Also during the investigation, OPNET recovered stolen property — including a bulldozer, an excavator, an off-road vehicle, a motorcycle, a boat motor and a firearm.
Morehead sentenced for delivery of methamphetamine
Jason W. Morehead, 44, of Port Angeles, was sentenced to 24 months community custody and three to six months of drug treatment after he pled guilty on Oct. 15 to delivering methamphetamine to OPNET, a felony committed May 7, 2014.
During the investigation, OPNET members developed probable cause to believe that Morehead delivered methamphetamine on three separate days.
Also during the investigation, Morehead’s vehicle was seized after OPNET developed probable cause to believe that Morehead used the vehicle to transport and deliver methamphetamine.
Constant sentenced in heroin case
Brian L. Constant, 27, of Port Angeles, was sentenced to serve 12 months total confinement in state prison to be followed by eight months community custody. Constant pled guilty on Nov. 18 to delivery of heroin, a felony committed May 30, 2014.
Constant was arrested on Sept. 27 as part of an investigation during which OPNET members developed probable cause to believe that Constant delivered heroin and possessed heroin with intent to deliver. Constant’s previous criminal history includes felony convictions for malicious mischief, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and theft.
Spaulding, Gort charged after investigation
Corey R. Spaulding, 29, and Kaitlan M. Gort, 23, both of Port Hadlock, were recently charged in Jefferson County Superior Court with a series of methamphetamine related crimes.
Spaulding is charged with four counts of delivery of methamphetamine as well as maintaining a premises for drug trafficking. Gort is charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine as well as maintaining a premises for drug trafficking. All of the offenses occurred within 1,000 feet of a school bus stop.
During a three-month investigation (September-November, 2014), OPNET members developed probable cause to believe that Spaulding, who is a registered sex offender, and Gort were using their public housing apartment to distribute methamphetamine in Port Hadlock.
Investigators from several agencies including Sequim Police, Clallam and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Offices, U.S. Border Patrol and Coast Guard Investigative Service assisted OPNET with the investigation.
After Spaulding and Gort were arrested by Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies, children who lived in their apartment were taken into protective custody because there was probable cause to believe that the children were endangered by the drug activity in the apartment.
Also during the investigation, a car used by Spaulding and Gort was seized because there was probable cause to believe that the car had been used to transport methamphetamine from out of the area into Port Hadlock.
