From staff reports
An Oil City couple accused of possessing drugs and a firearm at their Manning Street residence where two young children also live waived their preliminary hearings Wednesday in Venango County Central Court.
Jeffrey Goodman Jr. and Jade Hurst, both 21, were charged with multiple felony counts in connection with an incident stemming from the Feb. 21 discovery by Oil City police of a stolen 9mm handgun at the East Second Street residence of 21-year-old Marquel Jenkins, according to a criminal complaint filed through district judge Andrew Fish’s office.
The firearm was traced by the Department of Justice Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the subsequent report found it had gone missing from the residence of an Oil City woman, the complaint said.
Goodman said he took possession of the firearm with the intention of having it transferred to his name, but he returned it to Snyder once he had found the handgun to be stolen, the complaint said.
Goodman added he had been in contact with Jenkins, who had obtained the handgun from Snyder, the complaint said.
In an interview with Hurst, Goodman’s girlfriend, on March 20, she advised that Goodman had been the one to sell Jenkins the handgun. Hurst also said Goodman had received the firearm from Snyder, not returning it to Snyder as Goodman had originally indicated, the complaint said.
Police then spoke with Goodman at his home, and he admitted to lying about his lack of involvement in the sale of the handgun. He said Snyder had wanted to trade the firearm for an unspecified amount of marijuana, but Goodman instead sold it to Jenkins for around $100, later providing Snyder with the money, the complaint said.
On March 21, police executed a search warrant at the home of Goodman and Hurst at 13 Manning St., where they recovered a firearm along with an unspecified amount of marijuana and related paraphernalia, the complaint said.
Police located a bag in the couple’s bedroom, which contained a substantial amount of marijuana along with packaging materials, digital scales and two marijuana-smoking devices. The bag was in a location where the minor children in the home, aged 2 and 4 months, could have access to it, the complaint said.
The firearm, a loaded .22-caliber rifle, was located on the dresser in the bedroom, the complaint said.
Police also discovered a “make-shift shooting range” in the basement, which Hurst said Goodman used multiple times, including when the children were present in the home, the complaint said.
Goodman was charged with four felony counts related to penalties for sales involving firearms, single felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy-manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, two felony counts of endangering the welfare of children and misdemeanor counts of false report-falsely incriminate another, possession of a controlled substance and use-possession of drug paraphernalia.
Hurst was charged with two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of children and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance. Felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy-manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver were withdrawn in the case.
Goodman was released from Venango County jail Wednesday on $25,000 unsecured bail.
Hurst remains free on $25,000 bail.
Snyder waived his preliminary hearing Wednesday on felony charges of burglary, theft by unlawful taking and sales to ineligible transferee.
He remains in the Venango County jail on $15,000 bail.
