News briefs from around Wyoming

Woman wants her purse taken to jail; meth discovered inside

CODY (WNE) — When Kelsey Spencer was being arrested for breaking her probation, she demanded her purse go with her to the Park County Detention Center. Inside that purse lay an unused syringe and meth.

Spencer, 28, had been brought to the Detention Center on June 30 after the state submitted a petition to revoke her probation after failing to show up to two probation meetings and admitting to using meth twice.

Spencer had previously told authorities they would find no syringes in the purse.

When Powell Police Sgt. Dustin DelBiaggio searched the bag, he also came across an old pill bottle with its label peeling off. 

A test of the bottle found 22.5 grams of liquid meth.

When given a urine test, Spencer tested positive for meth and amphetamines.

She is being charged with possession of a felony amount of meth and being under the influence of meth.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled for a Sept. 9 pretrial conference and Oct. 13 jury trial in this case. She is currently serving a suspended 2-4 year sentence that could be reimposed if she violates her probation.

Spencer will be released from jail on Aug. 16 so that she can start attending Park County Drug Court immediately. Her attorney Sarah Miles said there is a strong likelihood she will also be recommended for inpatient treatment.

The state submitted a petition to revoke her probation in May for not showing up to two probation meetings and admitting to using meth twice. Spencer had sold .25 ounces of marijuana and 5.8 grams of mushrooms to an informant in May 2020.

Man on probation for crash alleged to have gotten in another

POWELL (WNE) — A Powell man on probation for a high-speed crash in a residential neighborhood in May is now facing allegations that he hit a vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol. 

Riley S. Birky, 20, was arrested on the evening of Aug. 6, after he reportedly rear-ended a vehicle and then drove back to his home on Avenue C. 

Powell police say Birky appeared to be intoxicated and that, after his arrest, he attempted to flee the booking area.

That has led to four misdemeanor charges: driving while under the influence of alcohol for a second time in 10 years, underage drinking, failure to stop and report damage to an attended vehicle and interference with a peace officer. 

The Park County Attorney’s Office is also seeking to revoke Birky’s probation from the May 13 crash. In that incident, police said Birky had been driving 40-45 mph on Sunlight Drive and looking at his cellphone when he drifted to the wrong side of the road and collided with a parked Ford Mustang. 

As of Monday, Birky remained in the Park County Detention Center, with bond set at $5,000. 

A citizen called Powell police on the evening of Aug. 6 after being hit by the driver of a silver 2003 Infiniti FX45.

Officers found the FX45 parked at Birky’s residence. Birky was ultimately arrested and a breath test pegged his blood alcohol content at 0.186%. 

At that time, Birky was on probation for possessing a controlled substance and driving with a suspended license; both of those offenses — plus a citation for careless driving and a failure to report a crash — stemmed from the May 13 crash on Sunlight Drive and a separate collision on Avenue C.