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LOCK HAVEN -- Megan Christine Rinehart, 35, was sentenced Tuesday on one count of delivery of a controlled substance, a felony, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, a third degree felony.
President Judge Craig P. Miller imposed sentence on Rinehart for her 2021 delivery of "bath salts" to a confidential informant in a controlled buy operation conducted by the Clinton County Drug Task Force, according to a release from the District Attorney's office via Crimewatch.
Miller imposed a minimum sentence of nine months on the two counts, and a maximum sentence of 36 months, to be served at the Clinton County Prison.
Rinehart pleaded with Miller to impose a sentence of house arrest at the sentencing hearing, insisting that she had changed her ways and was no longer involved in drugs.
First Assistant District Attorney Thom Rosamilia argued that Rinehart should be sentenced to an 18 to 72 month term of incarceration in state prison, and argued that Rinehart had been selling poison to people in Clinton County, the release said.
Rinehart was found guilty of both charges following a 1-day jury trial on Aug. 3. The jury returned guilty verdicts against Rinehart after deliberating for less than an hour, the release said.
At trial, Rinehart took the stand and testified that she never sold the confidential informant drugs, but instead claimed that she was meeting the individual to collect money that the confidential informant owed her boyfriend for power tools that had been sold on Facebook, the release said.
Chief David Winkleman and Officer Stephen Brion of the Pine Creek Township Police Department testified at the trial and conducted the investigation.