A Coudersport man was arraigned Friday before Smethport District Judge Bill Todd on allegations from a car chase in July.
Ellis Z. Ott, 33, of South Main Street, is facing a slew of charges in McKean and Potter counties from the same time frame.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 29, Coudersport-based state police were working with Port Allegany police in an attempt to apprehend Ott and Kacie Butler, who were wanted on active bench warrants and were allegedly attempting to leave the state.
At 8:25 p.m., troopers saw their vehicle pull out from Two-Mile Road and onto Route 155 traveling north, and begin driving at a high rate of speed. Another state police car joined the pursuit, and Ott’s car turned onto Slack Hollow Road, where Butler began throwing items out the car window, the complaint alleged.
When Ott’s car reached the dead end, he stopped, and Butler jumped out of the car and began running. Police captured her about 50 yards from the car, the complaint stated. Ott had remained in the car and placed his hands out the window, surrendering to police.
After the two were detained, the car was searched. Troopers found pills, suspected methamphetamine, a bag containing suspected hallucinogenic mushrooms, a syringe containing a clear liquid, $260 in cash, two cell phones with broken screens and a wallet containing, among other things, an Access card. Ott was in possession of a bag of marijuana in his pocket, the complaint alleged.
Ott had a strong odor of marijuana, and told police he had smoked marijuana about 18 hours earlier, the complaint stated. However, he failed field sobriety tests and was taken to UPMC for blood testing. He tested positive for “multiple illegal narcotics,” including amphetamine, methamphetamine, THC, burenorphone and norbuprenorphine, according to the complaint.
While viewing dash camera footage from the police chase, troopers noted multiple traffic offenses committed by Ott during the pursuit as well, and noted that the state police patrol car was traveling at 110 mph at one point in an attempt to catch Ott, the complaint stated.
Ott was arraigned and jailed in lieu of $25,000 bail. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Todd at 9 a.m. Dec. 30.
The charges against him in McKean County are as follows: conspiracy at flight to avoid apprehension, flight to avoid apprehension and fleeing from a police officer, all third-degree felonies; possession of a controlled substance, possession of a small amount of marijuana and of drug paraphernalia, along with DUI, all misdemeanors; and nine summary traffic offenses.
In Potter County, Ott is charged with two counts of possession with intent to deliver drugs, felonies; and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, a third-degree felony.
He remains incarcerated on $10,000 bail in that case as well. He is represented in Potter County by Christopher Martini.
No information was immediately available as to charges against Butler.
