Staff writer
Jennifer Nicole Todd, 29, is charged with two counts of manufacture, delivery or possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, one count of conspiracy to manufacture, deliver or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, criminal use of a communication facility, three counts of possession of a controlled substance, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, one count of endangering the welfare of a child and driving without a license.
Shannon Juanita Aites, 41, is charged with conspiracy to manufacture, deliver or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of a child.
Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites, 19, is charged with same offenses as Shannon Juanita Aites and also is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
Shannon Juanita Aites is the mother of Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites.
Court documents say Clarion Borough police officer William H. Peck IV learned Todd was dealing heroin from the residence of Shannon Aites along Main Street in Clarion.
With assistance from a confidential informant, police made a controlled purchase of heroin from Todd on April 18.
The buy was set up with the use a cellular telephone, the documents say.
During the course of the investigation leading up to the controlled buy, police learned Todd and Shannon Aites were planning on driving to Delaware April 15 to purchase heroin for the purpose of using and selling the heroin.
On April 15, police drove by Aites’ residence and observed her vehicle was not there. Repeated checks at the residence showed the vehicle was there until Sunday, April 17.
After the controlled buy from Todd on April 18, police learned Todd was planning on driving back to Delaware to purchase more heroin and would be making the trip in a single day, April 20.
Clarion Borough police checked the residence in the early morning hours of April 20 and observed Shannon Aites’ vehicle was in the driveway but had left by 5 a.m.
Police kept the residence under surveillance throughout the day April 20 and at 4:30 p.m. police observed the vehicle return and park at the University Inn.
Peck approached the vehicle while the occupants of the car were still inside. Todd was driving the vehicle with a male juvenile in the front passenger seat, and Brayanna Aites was seated in the rear passenger seat.
State police, Clarion County Narcotic Enforcement Team members, Clarion Borough police and the state police K-9 were called to the scene.
Todd admitted to police she was in possession of heroin in her front pocket and two needles, police said. She was searched and police found 113 packets of alleged heroin and the two needles.
Police questioned Brayanna Aites as to the whereabouts of Shannon Aites.
Brayanna Aites said Shannon Aites would be at the apartment watching her (Brayanna’s) infant child. Brayanna Aites accompanied police to the apartment and Shannon Aites was found asleep on a bed with the infant child, police said.
Police informed Shannon Aites that Todd was in police custody and her (Shannon Aites’) minor son and Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites were with Todd when she went to Delaware to buy heroin.
Shannon Aites told police her son and daughter believed Todd was going to buy marijuana, not heroin, in Delaware, and Shannon Aites also told police she knew Todd was making the trip to buy heroin, police said.
Shannon Juanita Aites also acknowledged she allowed Todd to take her car to Delaware, and Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites told police she believed Todd was driving to Delaware to pick up “pills,” police said. Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites also told police she went along on the trip knowing Todd was going to buy drugs, police said.
The court documents say Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites told police she, Todd and the male juvenile all smoked marijuana during the trip to and from Delaware. The male juvenile admitted to police he smoked marijuana while on the trip, the documents said.
The male juvenile and the infant were taken into protective custody by Clarion County Children and Youth Services.
From the vehicle, police seized a glass smoking pipe with marijuana residue, a small amount of marijuana and a spoon with unspecified residue.
From Shannon Juanita Aites’ home, police seized one needle found in Todd’s clothing bag, three needles found in a bath robe in the bathroom, two marijuana smoking pipes, a marijuana grinder and 59 white pills in a cigarette wrapper stored in a pill bottle.
The defendants were arraigned by district judge Duane Quinn. Bail was set at $50,000 for Todd ($25,000 each on two separate filings), and $25,000 each for Shannon Juanita Aites and Brayanna Jane-Louise Aites.
