Published: May 08, 2008 02:33 am            

Grapeland woman pleads guilty to pair of '06 charges

PALESTINE — A 28-year-old Grapeland woman has pled guilty to a pair of charges stemming from a December 2006 incident and will be sentenced this summer.

On Monday at the Anderson County Courthouse, with jury selection in her trial about to proceed, Kasey Marie Guess, 28, of Grapeland pled guilty to the offenses of possession of a controlled substance 4-to-200 grams with intent to distribute and tampering with evidence.

After receiving the defendant’s guilty pleas, 349th State District Judge Pam Foster Fletcher ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and set Guess’ sentencing hearing for July 18.

Guess was represented by local attorney Melvin Whitaker, while the state was represented by Anderson County assistant district attorney Stanley Sokolowski.

On Dec. 7, 2006, the state has alleged that the Anderson County Drug Task Force executed a narcotics search warrant at an Anderson County residence and observed three persons — one of whom was Guess — flushing illegal narcotics down the toilet.

“The task force ran a search warrant and when they went in (the residence) she and her two co-defendants were in the bathroom flushing it,” Sokolowski said. “There was a powder all over the toilet...and a spoon down in the toilet where they were shoveling (suspected drugs) down.”

Sokolowski said authorities found “a security camera” mounted on a tree which they believe tipped off Guess and others inside the residence to the officers’ arrival.

A total of “more than 4 grams” of methamphetamine subsequently was discovered during a search of the residence, according to Sokolowski.

Scales, baggies and other paraphernalia commonly used in the manufacture of illegal narcotics were also found inside the residence, the assistant district attorney added.

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Paul Stone may be contacted via e-mail at pstone@palestineherald.com

        

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