Another in drug bust reaches plea agreement; Most have reached deals in case

Published 10:37 am Tuesday, February 7, 2017

A 37-year-old Austin man arrested as part of a June 2016 drug bust has pleaded guilty.

Ernest Pitchford pleaded guilty to felony count of conspiracy to commit third-degree sale of a narcotic as part of a plea agreement, while three other third-degree drug crime charges and second-degree drug sales counts, all felonies, were dismissed.

At 5:53 a.m. on June 16, Austin police and United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents executed a search warrant at 802 12th Avenue SW.

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Stephanie Behrends, 30, of Austin and Brianna Constance Kay Ober, 21, were in the home and are known associates of a drug dealer.

Police seized about 30 grams of heroin and 80 grams of crack cocaine. The suspects showed officers the drugs were located in Ober’s shoes near the front door.

Officers also gathered information on each suspect through informants and observed drug sales to arrest the other suspects.

drug-crimeBehrends pleaded guilty last October to felony third-degree drug possession, while a felony first-degree drug possession charge was dismissed. She’s due for sentencing April 13.

Ober pleaded guilty to first-degree felony drug possession and third-degree drug possession on Dec. 16 and is scheduled for sentencing on March 3.

Others charged in the incident include:

—Carolyn Michelle Molhusen, 25, of Austin pleaded guilty on Jan. 20 to third-degree sale of a narcotic and is due for sentencing on April 27.

—Amy Beth Wagner, 25, of Austin pleaded not guilty to felony second-degree drug sales in a park zone and felony third-degree drug sales, both subsequent offenses.

—Tangela Patrice Jones, 32, of Austin pleaded guilty to third-degree sale of a narcotic on Jan. 9 and is due for an April 6 sentencing.