Trending
HOLLIDAYSBURG -- An Altoona man who told a jury about his longtime history of drug use was acquitted Tuesday of felony possession with intent to deliver offenses but convicted of related misdemeanors including possession of methamphetamine.
Nathan T. Snowberger, 43, who has been incarcerated since his arrest about a year ago when 59 grams of methamphetamine were found during a search of his residence, shed tears of relief as the verdicts were announced in the Blair County courtroom.
The jury also acquitted Snowberger's former girlfriend, Harley Taylor Houp, 29, Altoona, of all charges, including possession with intent to deliver, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Houp, represented by defense attorney Kristen Anastasi, took the stand in her own defense and said that when she and Houp lived together, she was working long hours and had no knowledge of the methamphetamine that resulted in her arrest.
Defense Attorney Mark Zearfaus told the jury that his client wasn't selling drugs. Zearfaus pointed out that the evidence included no forms of communication or records to indicate that he was selling.
When Snowberger testified, he told the jury that the methamphetamine found during a search of his residence was for his own use.
Assistant District Attorney Jonathan Thomas asked the jury to question that claim.
"It's $5,500 worth of methamphetamine," Thomas told the jury in his closing argument when he spoke of the drug's street value.
Snowberger told the jury it was cheaper to buy the larger quantity of methamphetamine and that it also allowed him to reduce his trips to a trap house to buy drugs.
"They watch those places," Snowberger said in testimony.
Altoona police charged Snowberger and Houp on May 18, 2022, after being summoned by state parole officers to their residence on the 100 block of Fifth Avenue.
Snowberger, who was on parole at the time, had tested positive for opioids. The search of the residence led to the discovery of the methamphetamine inside a sock in a kitchen cabinet. The search also recovered marijuana THC wax in a jar and a scale, found in a box in the bathroom, and a stun gun.
Trial testimony indicated that Snowberger, based on his criminal record, is prohibited from possessing a stun gun, and the jury convicted him of the unlawful possession.
Thomas said that because of Snowberger's extensive history, he will propose a sentence with a period of significant incarceration.
Zearfaus said that because Snowberger has already been in jail for a year, he may recommend a time-served sentence on Tuesday's convictions. Meanwhile, Snowberger is scheduled for transfer to a state prison where Zearfaus said he could begin a drug treatment program.
Judge Wade A. Kagarise scheduled sentencing for Aug. 18, after a presentence investigation is completed.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.