A couple of men were arrested at Great Salt Plains State Park after park rangers checked on people at a shelter. According to court documents, rangers Ryan Webster and John O’Neil were in the Sandy Beach area about 11:50 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 24, when they saw a group occupying a shelter. As they approached, they saw a man hold an item to his face, light it and blow smoke in the air. He then handed the item to a woman who also blew smoke in the air.
As they made contact with the people, Webster saw the woman, later identified as Toni Lea Little of Moore, quickly place a hand-rolled cigarette down to her left side out of view. He could smell the distinct odor of marijuana. He asked her for the cigarette and was handed a partially smoked cigarillo with the distinct odor of marijuana. He saw a second cigarillo sitting on a picnic table between Little and Craig Alan Podenak, who had also been observed smoking. The second cigarillo also had the odor of marijuana. Another individual, identified later as Christopher Morrison, was sitting slumped over in a folding chair. He was asleep and snoring.
Webster asked if Morrison was alright, and Podenak stated, “He’s drunk.” Webster asked about the marijuana and was told they had smoked it. He asked Podenak if there was any more marijuana in the vehicle he had just exited or anywhere else at the campsite. He said there was a little more in the car.
Webster asked for identification of everyone at the campsite, except Morrison who was still asleep. Podenak said his driver’s license was in the car. When they walked over to retrieve it, Webster asked him to give him his marijuana. Podenak gave him a white trash bag that contained an empty cigarillo package, two sandwich-style baggies and loose tobacco along with a loose leafy substance. One of the baggies was empty; the other contained a cloth and a small amount of a loose green leafy substance.
Webster learned the car belonged to Little, and she gave him permission to search it. In the console he found a clear plastic baggie with ten full and two partial pills. He asked what the pills were, and Podenak said it was Adderall. He said they were his and he did not have a prescription. Webster later confirmed they were a generic form (amphetamine salts 20 mg) of Adderall, a schedule two controlled substance. Podenak also said the marijuana was his.
It took a couple of minutes for Webster to wake Morrison and obtain his identification. Morrison had a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his person and his speech was slow and slurred. After a few minutes he was able to produce a driver’s license, which was expired.
Another man at the site, Joshua Reed, gave permission to search his vehicle. Webster found an empty pill container issued to Reed for amphetamine salts 20 mg with a filled date in 2013. He questioned him about the bottle and Podenak’s pills. Reed denied giving Podenak any of his pills.
Webster placed Podenak and Morrison under arrest, and they were taken to the Alfalfa County Jail. O’Neil conducted an inventory of Morrison’s vehicle prior to impoundment.
Craig Alan Podenak, 33, of Oklahoma City has been charged with two felonies: possession of controlled dangerous substance within 1,000 feet of a park and unlawful possession of controlled dangerous substance without a prescription.
Christopher Michael Morrison, 37, of Oklahoma City has been charged with a misdemeanor of public intoxication.
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