Local News

Traffic stop leads to arrests of 3 on felony drug counts

Geist, Alley, Hallett allegedly found with heroin, cocaine in vehicle

Three city residents, including a PrimeCare employee assigned to the Blair County Prison, were arrested on felony drug charges after a K-9 officer alerted on a vehicle during a traffic stop.

Police conducted the traffic stop Friday on a vehicle with windows so heavily tinted that they couldn't see inside, according to court documents. The driver, Kendall O. Geist, 33, stopped for police at 26th Street and Beale Avenue about 9:20 p.m., the report states.

Geist told officers that he was coming from the Dollar Store area after picking up his brother, Christopher Thomas Alley, 29, but couldn't give an exact location or name of the residence they were visiting. Alley, police stated, was the rear seat passenger, while Brittany Nichole Hallett, 34, was in the front passenger seat.

Geist was driving on a suspended license, court documents state.

Police said Alley was reluctant to identify himself and nodded off when talking with officers.

Alley was asked to exit the vehicle. When asked if there was anything inside the vehicle that officers needed to know about, Alley said "not that I know of." Alley agreed to empty his pockets and pulled out a rolled-up dollar bill, a folded dollar bill and a wad of money, according to the affidavit.

Geist and Hallett were then asked to exit the vehicle, with officers asking both of them if there was anything in the vehicle they should know about. Both said they were "unsure," and Hallett added that she was the owner of the vehicle, according to court documents.

K-9 Blue conducted an open-air sniff and alerted on the vehicle, police reported.

Alley, Geist and Hallett were then taken into custody after Hallett refused to allow a search of the vehicle, which was towed while officers compiled a search warrant.

When search warrants for Hallett and Alley were obtained and executed, police found a bag of cocaine hidden between Hallett's toes. She claimed to have received the cocaine during the traffic stop and initially hid it in her bra before moving it to her feet, court documents state. She allegedly admitted she planned to destroy the drugs before police found the bag.

Alley told police that he used the rolled up dollar bill to snort heroin earlier that day, the report states.

In Hallett's vehicle, police found a black bag on the floor behind the driver's seat, in front of where Alley was seated. The bag, on top of Hallett's black prison work hoodie, contained five bricks -- 250 individual wax packets -- of heroin, according to the affidavit. It was later discovered that Hallett worked for PrimeCare, the prison's health care provider.

Officers also found a mirror with white powdery residue underneath Hallett's hoodie, as well as a second mirror with white residue in the center console. A prison envelope with four capsules of an unknown substance were also found in the center console, police reported.

Officers found $120 in cash in Hallett's purse, $31 on the driver's seat, $370 on Geist and $1,132 on Alley.

Alley was arraigned Saturday by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on one felony count each of conspiracy possession with intent to deliver and possession with intent to deliver as well as one misdemeanor charge each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Geist and Hallett were also arraigned Saturday by Blattenberger, each charged with two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver and one misdemeanor count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Hallett posted $100,000 bail and was released from custody. Alley and Geist remain in the Blair County Prison, unable to post $200,000 bail each.

All three are scheduled to appear in front of Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones for preliminary hearings on July 31.