Shippenville man held for court in drug-related death

From staff reports

A Shippenville man accused in the drug-related death of a Clarion man was held for court after a preliminary hearing Tuesday.

Spencer Gene Rudolph, 23, is one of five people charged in the drug-related death of Robert Stout on Nov. 20.

Clarion police Chief William Peck said he interviewed Rudolph, and that Rudolph told him he obtained heroin from William Fourness and Joseph Hoffman.

Rudolph said he purchased heroin from Hoffman on a regular basis, and on Nov. 17 he met him at a convenience store in Brockway, Jefferson County, and purchased a brick of heroin from him in exchange for approximately $300.

During the interview, Peck said, Rudolph told Peck he sold five stamp bags to the victim on Monday, Nov. 19, in the bathroom where they worked. He indicated they were the same packages that he purchased from Hoffman in the parking lot of the Brockway convenience store on Nov. 17. The drugs were delivered in plain white stamp bags.

Defense attorney Robbie Taylor said Fourness “took advantage of heavy drug users.”

Taylor said there were no white stamp bags in Stout’s residence and no drug paraphernalia.

Peck said there were no drugs in Stout’s apartment.

Rudolph is also charged with corrupt organizations – employee, conspiracy, criminal use of communication facility, manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver and involuntary manslaughter.

All of the charges were bound over to the Court of Common Pleas.

Rudolph also faces the following charges, filed Feb. 15: manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, conspiracy to manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, possession of controlled substance, use/possession of drug paraphernalia.