HOLLIDAYSBURG — The second of two people accused in May 2023 of trying to help a Philadelphia drug trafficker conceal drugs from police has rendered guilty pleas to criminal charges for a to-be-determined sentence.

Brittany Smalley, 36, East Freedom, was scheduled to go on trial today in Blair County court, where she would contest charges that included felony counts of possession with intent to deliver heroin with fentanyl, criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of an unlawful act.

Instead, Smalley on Tuesday entered guilty pleas to those and related charges in front of Judge Jackie Bernard, who scheduled sentencing for April 15, after completion of a pre-sentence investigation and the submission of sentencing recommendations.

“I’ll never commit another crime in my life,” Smalley said as she assured Bernard of her desire to plead guilty instead of going to trial.

In December, Smalley backed away from entering guilty pleas for a recommended sentence with a minimum of 4.5-years’ incarceration. That prompted her case to be scheduled for selection and trial.

Meanwhile, Smalley watched her husband, Kyle, enter guilty pleas to several charges similar to hers and accept a negotiated plea offer of 10-years’ probation. Bernard referred to that recommendation as the deal of the century in light of state sentencing guidelines calling for incarceration.

In court Tuesday, Bernard reminded Brittany Smalley that without a negotiated plea, the decision on a sentence rests with the judge. Smalley, represented in court by Assistant Public Defender John Siford, said she knew that and spoke of gathering supportive records to make a case for leniency.

Police charged both Smalleys in May 2023, during what started as a quest to find and arrest Isaiah R. Tilghman of Philadelphia, who was supposed to be selling drugs from a rented room at the Altoona Grand Hotel.

After failing to find Tilghman at the hotel, police went to the Smalleys’ residence in East Freedom. That’s where they found a large black plastic bag with massive amounts of heroin with fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine — about $113,000 worth according to court documents — along with Tilghman’s clothing, wallet, ID card and cash.

Police also found $4,000 in a lockbox at the Smalleys’ residence and learned that it came from Tilghman, who was supposed to get in touch with Brittany Smalley to retrieve the bag.

In working with Brittany Smalley, police had her arrange to meet Tilghman at Pleasant Valley Boulevard and 19th Street. He was arrested in that area after a brief foot chase.

Tilghman, who remained incarcerated until December 2023 when he escaped from the county prison via its ventilation system, was arrested again a few weeks later in Philadelphia. In December, Bernard sentenced him to 19.5 to 47 years in prison on the drug-trafficking and escape-related offenses.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.