SMETHPORT — A former Smethport man pleaded guilty in McKean County Court to drug possession while in the county jail.
Francis Kramer, 50, currently incarcerated at State Correctional Institute at Forest, entered a guilty plea to possession of a controlled substance by an inmate, a second-degree felony.
McKean County District Attorney Stephanie Vettenburg-Shaffer said county detective Linda Close investigated the case after suboxone and methamphetamine were found in a cell occupied by Kramer at the McKean County Jail in November of 2022.
Kramer had previously pleaded guilty to charges including fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a third-degree felony; endangering the welfare of a child, a first-degree misdemeanor; and recklessly endangering another person, a second-degree misdemeanor. He was sentenced to a term of incarceration of 36 months to 72 months.
In that case, in January of 2022, a state trooper was traveling west on Route 59 just west of Smethport with a white van traveling in front of him. The trooper ran the license plate for the van. It came back to Kramer, but it was expired and Kramer’s license was suspended related to a DUI charge, according to the criminal complaint at the time of his arrest.
The trooper observed the van pass other traffic at a high rate of speed, without using a turn signal. The trooper sped up to attempt a traffic stop, but the van sped up despite the poor weather and poor road conditions, reaching speeds of 85 mph and passing several other vehicles, the complaint stated.
When the van reached just west of Bingham Road, it slowed to turn around to head back toward Kramer’s residence. The pursuit concluded in the driveway of 4462 Route 646 in Cyclone, and Kramer was taken into custody. A juvenile was in the passenger seat during the incident, the complaint stated.
He was incarcerated at the McKean County Jail to begin the sentence on Nov. 25, 2022, following which the controlled substances were found by corrections’ officers at the jail.
In another case, he pled guilty to possessing a controlled substance.
He was scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 7.
