Mephedrone, the illicit amphetamine-based designer drug also known as "bath salts," is being blamed for one South Williamsport man's paranoid hallucinations and erratic behavior, which caused members of the South Williamsport Police Department to be dispatched to his home on 12 occasions from Feb. 9 to April 12 for reports that people were trying to break into his apartment, according to court records.
Guy Joseph Schaffer, 52, of 312 W. Southern Ave., is being charged with two counts of possession of firearms by a felon after police found two guns and a box of ammunition in his apartment while responding to calls on April 21 and April 24.
According to Sgt. James Taylor, more charges may follow, pending the results of an undisclosed agreement.
Schaffer repeatedly reported that individuals were trying to break into his apartment, sometimes even while he was there, according to court records. He also told police that he could hear people walking and talking in the crawlspace above his apartment.
"Each time police have responded, they found absolutely no indication that anybody was inside the apartment and no indication that anybody had attempted to gain entry into Schaffer's residence," Sgt. James Taylor reported in an affidavit.
On April 21, at 4 a.m., Cpl. Carl Finnerty responded to a report of someone in Schaffer's attic. According to court records, when Finnerty arrived on scene, Schaffer was armed with a large hunting knife and had barricaded the attic door. Schaffer allegedly told Finnerty that he had seen a knife poking through the ceiling, although no one was found in the attic.
During the call, Finnerty noticed a loaded 20-gauge shotgun, which Schaffer claimed was for protection. Finnerty also observed a box of ammunition on the table and a bottle of pepper spray. Schaffer allegedly told police that he got the gun from Diane Hamm, who lives at the same residence.
On April 24, police searched Schaffer's residence. There, they allegedly found several syringes, several packets containing bath salts, a metal pill vial containing an unidentified designer drug, a 20-gauge shotgun, a 12-gauge shotgun loaded with six shells, the remainder of several more packets of drugs, spoons with drug residue on them and a syringe loaded with bath salts.
Schaffer, who has a previous conviction for selling marijuana in California, is not permitted to own a gun.
According to court records, Hamm told police that Schaffer had given her half the money for the weapons, which she had purchased under her name due to his prior conviction.
Schaffer was arraigned before District Judge Kemp on April 24 and is incarcerated in the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail.
On Monday, Schaffer waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge James G. Carn.
