Suspect pleads not guilty to drug possession
Published 10:41 am Friday, June 10, 2016
Another suspect has pleaded not guilty after a search warrant uncovered drug paraphernalia.
Edward Gonzales Jr., 34, of Austin pleaded not guilty in Mower County court on Thursday to two counts of felony fifth-degree drug possession.
Melanie Lynn Penkava, 26, of Austin was charged with just one count of the same offense and pleaded not guilty on May 12.
At about 8:09 a.m. on May 2, officers executed a search warrant on the 100 block of 13th Street Northeast. Gonzales, Penkava and another man were found in the apartment.
The following items were seized during the search:
• A piece of aluminum foil floating in the toilet
• Two Clonazepam pills in the bathroom
• A scale
• Several plastic bags containing heroin
• A plastic bag containing four unidentified pills
• Aluminum foil with a burned residue in Penkava’s backpack
• Four bindles of heroin (about .10 grams) in Penkava’s backpack
• A small amount of marijuana
• 31 unidentified pills
• Four cell phones
Gonzales claimed ownership of the clonazepam pills and admitted he did not have a prescription for it. He said the heroin belonged to Penkava, but he bought it for her. Penkava admitted to owning the heroin in her backpack.
Gonzales’s pre-trial is scheduled for Sept. 30 and the jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 10. Penkava’s pre-trial is scheduled for Sept. 16 and the jury trial is scheduled for Sept. 26.