Four patrol cars and one unmarked SUV responded to the scene on Tuesday. Traffic was restricted for roughly an hour while officers searched the vehicle.
The wrong license plates on a vehicle led police to making a drug bust on the east side of Washington Court House Tuesday afternoon.
Officer Derek Pfeifer says that he witnessed a Ponitac Grand Am traveling on West Elm Street in Washington Court House Tuesday afternoon. After he ran a check on the vehicle’s license plate, he discovered that the plate was registered to a different vehicle.
After pulling the vehicle over in the 600 block of West Elm Street into a driveway of a nearby residence, who wasn’t associated with the crime, Pfeifer questioned the driver, identified as Lynn Foster, 23, of North Street, about the plates. She informed him that she didn’t have a valid driver’s license.
After acting on a tip from a citizen of possible drug activity, Pfeifer requested the assistance of Officer K-9 Vido and his handler, Officer Charles Hughes.
Vido responded to the scene and ran a perimeter around the vehicle where he indicated of possible drugs on the front driver side door of the Pontiac. Pfeifer removed Foster and her passenger, Samantha Williams, 39, of Main Street in Mount Sterling, and began searching the vehicle.
Hidden in plain view was a green metallic pipe with charred copper mesh. According to Pfeifer, the pipe is used to smoke crack cocaine.
He also found a purse that was on the passenger side of the vehicle and inside was several drug paraphernalia items.
In the bag were 11 hypodermic syringes and needles, a spoon that had residue on top and charred marks on the bottom, along with a string with a loop tied in it that is used as a tourniquet to aid in “shooting” drugs into a person’s vein, according to Pfeifer.
One of the syringes was 1/4 of the way full with brown liquid, believed to be heroin. It has been sent to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for further testing.
Williams admitted to another officer on scene that it was her green crack pipe and that she had travel to Washington Court House to purchase cocaine to smoke.
Another purse, belonging to Williams, was located in the vehicle. Inside it was nine hypodermic needles and another spoon used for cooking heroin.
An orange pipe used to smoke crack cocaine and a plastic straw with powder residue was also found. According to Pfeifer, the straw is used for inhaling drugs.
Both females were taken into custody. Foster was charged with two counts of drug paraphernalia and one count of possessing a drug abuse instrument. She was also cited for no operator’s license, expired registration and failure to transfer registration.
Williams was charged with three counts of drug paraphernalia and one count of possessing drug abuse instruments.
Both were booked into the Fayette County Jail where they’re awaiting trial.
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