A Hellertown woman who was wanted on a Northampton County bench warrant issued earlier this month after she allegedly failed to appear at a preliminary hearing to answer to a third-degree misdemeanor charge of writing bad checks at a local business is now facing additional charges, according to police.
In a news release Friday, borough police said Ashley Marie Schneider, 28, of the first block of E. Depot Street, was stopped while driving on Main Street Thursday at around 8:15 p.m.
Police said Schneider was found to have a suspended driver’s license and a warrant for her arrest related to the Hellertown bad checks case, which dates from April 2017 and in which the Society of Little Learners Daycare in Hellertown is the affiant, per court records.
After Schneider was taken into custody Thursday, police said she was allegedly found to be in possession of methamphetamine as well as drug paraphernalia.
Court records indicate that she is now charged with driving under suspension, driving without insurance and operating a vehicle without a valid inspection.
As of late Friday afternoon the records do not list any drug charges, however police in their news release said Schneider was charged with possession of meth.
According to court records, the warrant for her arrest was issued Dec. 18 by Judge Stephen Baratta, after Schneider failed to appear at the Dec. 10 preliminary hearing and did not provide “good cause” for not doing so. “Bail, if any, is forfeited,” Barratta’s order stated.
Schneider was freed on $1,000 unsecured bail Friday following a bench warrant hearing presided over by Judge Craig Dally at which the warrant was vacated, and she now has a preliminary hearing in the checks case scheduled for Feb. 7 at 9 a.m., records indicate.
Schneider is required to remain under pre-trial supervision and to undergo random drug screenings as conditions of her bail, according to court records.
