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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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Woman accused in motorcyclist’s death faces drug charges

By , Columbian Local News Editor
Published:

A Battle Ground woman out on bail in an April 2014 vehicular homicide case was back in court Wednesday to face new drug-related allegations.

Tanya M. Leffler, 35, appeared in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver and two counts of manufacture of marijuana. She was arrested Tuesday after a warrant search of her house by detectives with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Leffler is already facing a charge of vehicular homicide in connection with the death of motorcyclist, James Luden, 54, of Vancouver, on April 14, 2014.

Leffler is accused of driving under the influence of meth and crashing into Luden while he was stopped at a traffic light on Vancouver’s Padden Parkway. Luden was pronounced dead at the scene, according to court documents.

Leffler was arrested in July 2014 after investigators received the results of toxicology tests. She later posted $75,000 bail and was released from jail July 10, 2014, court records show.

During her hearing on Wednesday, Judge Daniel Stahnke revoked Leffler’s release in the earlier case and set bail at a total of $200,000.

“Is there any way I can get it lowered, sir?” Leffler asked Stahnke, adding that she no longer drives and isn’t a “flight risk.”

Stahnke said no.

She then asked if the court would set release conditions in case her father is able to post her bail. Again, Stahnke denied the request.

Leffler said she would hire her own attorney.

According to a probable cause affidavit, at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, sheriff’s detectives served a search warrant at Leffler’s residence at 13 S.W. 10th St. in Battle Ground. Detectives said they saw Leffler standing in front of her residence with an unknown man and saw what they believed to be a drug deal take place. Leffler apparently gave drugs to the man, later identified as Justin Boespflug, court records said.

Officers contacted the pair and detained them. Upon searching the two, detectives said they found what appeared to be a plastic bag containing methamphetamine in Boespflug’s shorts pocket, the affidavit said.

During an interview, Boespflug reportedly told detectives he had come to Leffler’s residence to buy the drug and had completed the transaction before officers contacted them. The substance in his pocket field-tested positive for meth, according to court documents.

Leffler also agreed to talk with detectives and said she lives at the residence, where she cares for her father. She reportedly admitted to supplying Boespflug with meth but said she didn’t accept payment for it. She apparently said, “she was just hooking him up, as she was no longer selling methamphetamine,” court records said.

Officers searching the residence reportedly found 64 marijuana plants in pots, 26 plants in the backyard and 38 plants in the garage. The residence is not a registered medical marijuana grow, according to the affidavit.

Leffler allegedly told detectives that she’s been a medical marijuana patient for four years and was growing the plants for herself. She said she was also caring for her ex-boyfriend’s plants, court records said.

In addition to the plants, officers also seized about 7 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a digital scale and packaging materials from Leffler’s bedroom. Officers also found a notebook with names and dollar amounts next to them, court documents said.

Leffler is scheduled to be back in court for both cases next month.

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