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City man pleads guilty in meth case

HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona man will be jailed four to 15 years after pleading guilty Monday in connection with making methamphetamine at his home.

Shawn Adam Amick, 39, submitted the pleas to Blair County Judge Daniel J. Milliron, who imposed the negotiated sentence presented by Assistant District Attorney Amanda Jacobson and Chief Public Defender Russell Montgomery.

Amick entered pleas to manufacturing meth, criminal conspiracy to manufacture meth, operating a meth lab, risking a catastrophe, flight to avoid apprehension and related charges.

Altoona police on March 5 arrested Amick and Mary A. Blackie, 34, at their 2827 Pine Ave. residence, where police officers had stopped with outstanding arrest warrants.

Court documents indicate that Amick initially tried to flee police inside the house where officers noticed a large amount of drug paraphernalia and items indicative of a meth-making operation. Subsequently, police secured a search warrant for the residence and found more meth-making items including 50 plastic bottles containing residue and a crystal substance.

In addition to Amick, police arrested Blackie and two Bedford County brothers who were at the residence: James McFarland of Defiance and Randolph McFarland of Hopewell.

Court documents indicate that Blackie, who owns the house, remains in the Blair County Prison, charged with manufacturing meth, criminal conspiracy to manufacture meth, operating a meth lab and related charges.

Jeffrey McFarland and Randolph McFarland challenged their charges, including criminal conspiracy to manufacture meth, during a preliminary hearing held in May before Magisterial District Justice Ben Jones. Defense attorneys accused police of having no evidence of their clients involvement. But documents gathered by police showed the pair purchased pseudoephedrine — used in meth-making — during the week prior to their arrest. Documents also showed the pair were blocked multiple times from pseudoephedrine purchases in Blair and Bedford counties.

Amick advised the judge that the McFarlands had nothing to do with his meth-making effort.

“I take full responsibility,” Amick told the judge while rendering his plea.

Milliron advised Amick that he should be transported from Blair County Prison to a state prison as soon as possible.

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