CLEARFIELD – Two suspects who have been accused in a drug raid at a local motel appeared for preliminary hearings during Centralized Court on Wednesday at the Clearfield County Jail.
Danielle Christine Yontosh, 43, of DuBois has been charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; conspiracy/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities; corruption of minors; endangering the welfare of children; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
Matthew Thomas Marley, 41, of DuBois has been charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; conspiracy/manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver; dealing in proceeds of unlawful activities; corruption of minors; endangering the welfare of children; and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
Yontosh waived all charges to the Court of Common Pleas. However, Marley had all charges returned for court following his preliminary hearing.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on Sept. 29, a Lawrence Township police officer, along with an agent from the Attorney General’s Office, was assigned to a drug raid. It was organized by the AG’s Office and the Clearfield County Drug Task Force.
Three task force units were dispatched to the Super 8 Motel, Clearfield, to serve an active arrest warrant on a wanted New York male. After attempting to locate the male, law enforcement officers located a second-floor room, and recognized the name of the renter as Yontosh. Officers noted familiarity with Yontosh through previous drug investigations that have occurred over the past several months in Clearfield County.
An officer knocked on the door to Yontosh’s room. After a few seconds passed, they knocked again and announced the presence of law enforcement. Law enforcement then heard movement inside the room, and an officer knocked again and requested that Yontosh answer the door that it was the police.
The officer then heard a toilet flush inside the bathroom within the motel room. The officer pounded loudly on the door, and a Caucasian male answered this time. When the officer asked if Yontosh was there law enforcement entered the room and requested identification.
Law enforcement proceeded to secure and identity four adult individuals who were inside the room. Officers also located one female juvenile on the bed without any clothes on, and the juvenile was identified as Yontosh’s daughter. The first male to be identified by law enforcement was Marley. He was sitting on the bed and allegedly admitted that he was just in the bathroom.
Law enforcement allegedly observed several, different types of drugs and drug paraphernalia around the room. In the bathroom, officers allegedly observed that the floor was wet, where the toilet overflowed from the apparent flushing of drugs. Law enforcement at the scene then contacted an AG agent and alerted them to the situation.
Law enforcement proceeded to pat down and handcuff the adult occupants of the room. Located as a result of the pat down of Marley was a red-colored cigarette pack containing suspected methamphetamine. Later, an agent field tested the suspected methamphetamine, and it returned positive results.
Upon entering the room, law enforcement allegedly observed the drug paraphernalia throughout in plain view. An officer allegedly observed an open “Bath & Body Works” container on the floor behind the bathroom door next to the bathtub containing miscellaneous drug paraphernalia and an amount of marijuana.
A social worker from Children & Youth Services responded to the scene for the 5-year-old juvenile female. All adult occupants were transported to the township police station, and the motel room was secured with police presence. Law enforcement proceeded to obtain a search warrant for the premises.
During an interview with law enforcement, Marley allegedly admitted that he was obtaining amounts of heroin and methamphetamine from a source, which was connected to the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. Marley, although he wouldn’t identify the individual, indicated he met them in Arizona, and they made the connection to the Cartel for him to get drugs.
Also, Marley allegedly told law enforcement that Yontosh knew many people. He said she was able to introduce him to people in the Clearfield County area, which helped him get “hooked into the drug connection.”
A male allegedly told law enforcement that he’s traveled with Marley to Arizona to obtain quantities of methamphetamine. Then, they allegedly shipped it back to Clearfield County, where Marley would provide it to him and others who distributed it for him.
Evidence seized from the motel room allegedly included pipes, needles and other smoking devices used to ingest drugs. There were also allegedly large amounts of money located within a yellow grocery bag inside of a laundry basket.