PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County jail inmate who police said conspired with his girlfriend to obtain heroin and fentanyl was released Tuesday without conditions while authorities continue to look for his girlfriend.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Lauren Erickson released Jason Jay Roy, 47, of Port Angeles at the expiration of a 72-hour hold.
Charges must be filed within 72 hours following an arrest or the person must be released from custody.
Roy was arrested Thursday. He had been scheduled to be released Friday on an unrelated charge.
Authorities continued to seek Port Angeles resident Stephanie Deon Dawkins, 32, for investigation of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance after a corrections deputy discovered fentanyl, heroin and drug paraphernalia May 13 on the ground near a chain-gang trailer on West Lauridsen Boulevard in Port Angeles.
Roy, who began chain gang duty that same day, had talked with Dawkins about her leaving the cache at the trailer, according to a probable cause statement that included recorded jail conversations between the couple.
On Tuesday, Harry Gasnick of Clallam Public Defender, representing Roy, told the judge that the two charges that Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Steve Johnson wanted to file against Roy — liability for conduct of another, complicity — did not apply to the case.
Gasnick said while Roy might be charged with attempted possession of a controlled substance, he could not be charged with“being an accomplice to a delivery to himself.”
To back his assertion, Gasnick provided copies of a case, State v. Morris, to Johnson and Erickson at the hearing Tuesday.
Johnson did not respond to Gasnick’s assertion.
“Mr. Gasnick has represented that this current charge won’t stand pursuant to this case,” Erickson said.
“I can’t sit here and read [the case] and make any sense of it.
“I’m going to go ahead and release [Roy],” she said.
“The state can decide how they want to proceed.”
Johnson said after the hearing that he will review Erickson’s decision and the case cited by Gasnick before making a charging decision.
Authorities were receiving tips on Dawkins’ whereabouts as late as Monday after she was seen in Gales Addition east of downtown Port Angeles and near the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation west of the city, Brian King, county Sheriff’s Office chief criminal deputy, said Tuesday.
Dawkins lives near the reservation, he said.
“We’ve just been one step behind her movements,” King said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.