Woman pleads not guilty to drug charges

One of two people from Hayward accused of drug-related offenses after police say they found methamphetamine and fentanyl in their possession after a traffic stop in Rice Lake has pleaded not guilty.

Chelsea N. Pringle, 29, was charged on Feb. 16 in Barron County Circuit Court with two felonies: possession with intent to deliver meth and possession with intent to deliver narcotics.

At her arraignment on Friday, the defendant pleaded not guilty and a plea hearing was scheduled for June 14. She remains in Barron County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond.

A conviction on possession with intent to deliver meth as a party to a crime, second or subsequent offense, carries a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and 40 years in prison.

Pringle’s co-defendant, Joseph L. St. Germaine, 38, was charged on Feb. 16 in Barron County Circuit Court with possession with intent to deliver meth, possession with intent to deliver narcotics and fifth-offense operating while intoxicated. Misdemeanor charges of operating while revoked and possession of THC also were filed.

Judge Maureen D. Boyle denied St. Germaine’s motion to dismiss charges at his adjourned initial appearance on Friday. He is incarcerated in Barron County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond, and a preliminary hearing is slated for Tuesday.