LUCERNE, Calif. – Two Lucerne residents were arrested last week on felony drug charges.
Stephen Michael Poppe, 26, and Joshua Timothy Colcleaser, 24, were arrested Nov. 5 by the Lake County Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force following the service of a search warrant, according to Capt. James Bauman.
Bauman said that Lake County Superior Court Judge Arthur Mann signed a search warrant for the Country Club Drive home of 25-year-old William Mueller on Oct. 29, following a two-month investigation into the suspected sales of controlled substances.
As detectives approached Mueller's residence at about 12:20 p.m. Nov. 5, Colcleaser started to exit the house from a kitchen door but then ran back in and slammed the door when he saw the detectives, Bauman said.
Detectives forced entry into the kitchen and pursued him into the house where he was arrested without further incident, according to Bauman.
Detectives also located Poppe sitting in an adjacent living room and he was detained in handcuffs without incident, Bauman said.
Poppe had been arrested in Clearlake Oaks on Oct. 20 by the Narcotics Task Force after he was found in possession of methamphetamine, narcotics paraphernalia and cash during a traffic stop, as Lake County News has reported.
Bauman said Mueller was not found in the Lucerne home. However, a search of the home led to the seizure of various small amounts of suspected methamphetamine, marijuana, items of narcotics paraphernalia and other evidence of narcotics sales.
He said detectives recovered just under 2 grams of suspected methamphetamine and more than 4 pounds of processed marijuana, which was found in various stages of packaging. Scales, smoking pipes, and other paraphernalia were recovered as well.
Both men were booked at the Lake County Jail on felony charges of possessing controlled substances and marijuana for sales and misdemeanor possession of narcotics paraphernalia, Bauman said.
Colcleaser was charged with resisting arrest as well. Both men posted $10,000 bail each and were released later that night.
While William Mueller was the subject of the initial investigation, he is not actively wanted by the sheriff’s office but he is expected to face narcotics charges as they are filed with the District Attorney’s Office, Bauman said.
Joshua Colcleaser is not to be confused with his cousin Johnny Colcleaser, the man who was the subject of a daylong manhunt in Lucerne on Sept. 24.
Johnny Colcleaser threatened Joshua Colcleaser, which kicked off the search that ended with Johnny Colcleaser's arrest on the night of Sept. 24.
Johnny Colcleaser remains in the Lake County Jail on felony charge of vehicle theft, being a felon in possession of a weapon and a parole violation, as well as a misdemeanor charge of resisting or obstructing an officer.
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