Lock Haven woman gets 9 to 36 months for drug delivery

LOCK HAVEN, PA – Megan Christine Rinehart, 35, from Lock Haven, was sentenced Tuesday on one count of delivery of a controlled substance and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Clinton County President Judge Craig P. Miller imposed sentence on Rinehart for her 2021 delivery of “bath salts” to a confidential informant in a controlled buy operation conducted by the Clinton County Drug Task Force. Miller imposed a minimum sentence of 9 months on the two counts, and a maximum sentence of 36 months, to be served at the Clinton County Prison.

Rinehart pled with Miller to impose a sentence of house arrest at the sentencing hearing, insisting that she had changed her ways and was no longer involved in drugs. First Assistant District Attorney Thom Rosamilia argued that Rinehart should be sentenced to an 18 to 72 month term of incarceration in state prison, and argued that Rinehart had been selling poison to people in Clinton County. Rinehart was found guilty of both charges following a 1-day jury trial on August 3, 2023.

The jury returned guilty verdicts against Rinehart after deliberating for less than an hour. At trial, Rinehart took the stand and testified that she never sold the confidential informant drugs, but instead claimed that she was meeting the individual to collect money that the confidential informant owed her boyfriend for power tools that had been sold on Facebook. Chief David Winkleman and Officer Stephen Brion of the Pine Creek Township Police Department testified at trial and conducted the investigation.

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://clinton.crimewatchpa.com/da/133000/post/rinehart-sentenced-9-36-months-drug-delivery