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City woman sentenced for heroin, meth sales

HOLLIDAYSBURG — An Altoona woman will spend 2.5 to 10 years in jail for selling heroin in 2017 and for methamphetamine possession in 2018 at the Blair County Prison.

Autumn Koch, 42, was sentenced Thursday for criminal conspiracy to deliver heroin, possession with intent to deliver heroin, criminal use of a communications device and possession of contraband. While she rendered guilty pleas in December to the charges, sentencing has been on hold pending her application to the state’s Intermediate Punishment Program.

First Assistant District Attorney Pete Weeks advised Judge Wade Kagarise on Thursday that after the state rejected Koch’s admission to its program, he proposed incarceration of 2.5 to 10 years with the option for early release under the state’s Risk, Recidivism Reduction Initiative.

That would make her eligible for release after completing 22.5 months of incarceration, Weeks said.

Koch, who could have withdrawn her guilty pleas after being rejected for the state’s Intermediate Punishment Program, said she would accept Weeks’ offer instead of proceeding to trial. She has been incarcerated since her April 20, 2018, arrest and should be credited for time served, defense attorney Richard Corcoran told the judge.

Kagarise accepted the recommendation and imposed Koch’s sentence, which recognized her eligibility for early release.

Altoona police, in late 2017, relied on a confidential informant to buy heroin from Koch, who was then living on the 1900 block of West Chestnut Avenue, the neighborhood where the sales took place. Through an investigation, police learned that Koch was getting the heroin, including bags that were stamped “Pringles,” from James F. Kelly of Altoona, a man they identified as Koch’s cousin, and from Dennis Knarr, also of Altoona.

In April 2018, during a round-up of those involved in drug transactions, Altoona police filed criminal charges against Koch, Kelly and Knarr.

Hollidaysburg police also filed contraband possession charges against Koch. On the day of her arrest, she was taken to the prison where she was found with a small amount of methamphetamine, a small straw and a razor blade.

Court records also indicate that Kelly and Knarr also rendered guilty pleas for their roles in the heroin sales. Kelly, in exchange for guilty pleas to conspiracy and possession with intent to deliver heroin, was sentenced to three to 15 years’ incarceration. Because of a prior record, his sentencing order indicates he is ineligible for early release through the state’s Risk, Recidivism Reduction Initiative.

Knarr rendered guilty pleas to the same offenses in exchange for incarceration of three years to 17 years.

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