A Soldotna woman, who is alleged to have crashed a stolen truck and who Alaska State Troopers say attempted to bring drugs into Wildwood Pretrial Facility on June 18, was indicted on three felony charges in Kenai Superior Court Tuesday.
At her arraignment Tuesday, Jessica Rodman, 32, pleaded not guilty to vehicle theft in the first-degree, misconduct involving a controlled substance in the fourth-degree and promoting contraband in the first-degree. All three are Class C felonies and if convicted, Rodman could serve a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of $50,000 for each charge.
On June 18, troopers responded to a report of a single vehicle rollover at mile 106 of the Sterling Highway at about 7 a.m. and found Rodman, who crawled out the window of a white 1996 Toyota T100 pickup. After an eyewitness said Rodman was the only person in the vehicle, which conflicted with her claim she was hitchhiking, Rodman said she took the truck from a house in Kasilof, according to an affidavit filed by Trooper Ryan Tennis.
Rodman told troopers she got into a verbal altercation at a party and walked a mile away and jumped into an unlocked truck to sleep. A short time later, she took the truck with the intention of leaving it in town. Rodman told troopers she didn’t know how she lost control and crashed, according to the report.
In the affidavit, Tennis wrote that Rodman admitted using methamphetamine in a prior contact with her a couple days earlier. A broken glass pipe was found in the driver side of the truck. Rodman admitted the pipe was hers, but denied there were drugs in the vehicle and passed a field sobriety test.
The owner of the vehicle, Peggy Svrcek told Tennis she last saw her truck in the driveway at 4 a.m. and had left it unlocked with the keys under the seat. Svrcek said she didn’t know Rodman. Damage to the vehicle was estimated at $1,500-$2,000, according to the report.
Rodman was searched and arrested and taken to Wildwood Pretrial Facility. A correctional officer discovered a piece of folded lined paper in Rodman’s pants pocket with a substance that tested positive for crystal meth and weighed 0.5 grams. Rodman said she didn’t know the drugs were in her pocket, according to the report.
Rodman was released on bail and Brittney Cole was assigned as a third party custodian after a June 26 hearing in Kenai District Court. Her next court date is August 11 at the Kenai Courthouse.
Reach Dan Balmer at daniel.balmer@peninsulaclarion.com.
