Three women are facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following a traffic stop and later being seen destroying methamphetamine while in their cells in side the jail.
According to a series of affidavits for probable cause for arrest of 36-year-old Alicia Lee of Brockwell, 36-year-old Amber Mix of Oxford and 31-year-old Tricia Melvin of Illinois, the charges stem from an investigation led by the 16th Drug Task Force (DTF) and Detective Sergeant Sean Tomlinson with the Izard County Sheriff’s Department.
On March 5, Investigators learned that Mix had been traveling to a northern state to pick up methamphetamine and bring it back to Horseshoe Bend to be distributed in Izard County.
Mix was believed to be driving a rented vehicle which she had failed to return to the rental company on the due date in January.
On March 6, Mix was observed in Pocahontas with two other occupants and followed through Ash Flat into Horseshoe Bend.
Mix had a felony warrant out of Izard County for failure to appear on drug related charges as well as an active warrant out of the state of Illinois for also failing to appear there on drug charges.
While traveling toward Horseshoe Bend, Mix committed several traffic violations and a traffic stop was performed just after 4 a.m.
Officers made contact with Mix and took her into custody for the felony warrant, she was holding a glass smoking pipe loaded with methamphetamine at the time.
The other two occupants, Lee and Melvin appeared to be concealing objects on their person as well.
A dirty syringe was located on the front seat on the passenger side, medical marijuana and drug paraphernalia were also located. None of the women possessed a medical marijuana card.
Melvin was sitting on a pouch containing a syringe and a baggie with residue inside.
Melvin was also placed under arrest.
Lee’s purse contained a marijuana container with pills inside discovered to be Morphine, a schedule II controlled substance, Colanzepam, a schedule IV controlled substance and a third pill which could not be identified at the time. There was also a small baggie with methamphetamine inside. Lee was also placed under arrest.
During the stop, Lee kept running her hand down her pants and making movements indicating she had something in her crotch. Melvin was making similar movements and a conversation between Lee and Mix was overheard indicating the two were holding something. Lee was heard telling Mix “we’re good, they wouldn’t search her due to the fact she was on her monthly,” the affidavit stated.
The three females were transported to the Izard County Jail and were warned about taking contraband into the facility but did not offer to remove the contraband on their persons prior to entry into the jail.
Once inside, a small amount of marijuana was located on Lee’s person.
Later in the morning, one of the DTF agents was informed the three women were being monitored in a cell and appeared to have narcotics internally which is a severe health threat.
The three denied having anything in the jail, however another search of their person revealed a baggie of white crystalline substance on Mix. It was likely Mix had removed the baggie internally and placed it in her bra due to the fact she had been strip searched by jail matrons.
While in the cell, officers observed torn baggies and crystalline shards of meth scattered throughout the cell.
Surveillance video was reviewed and the woman could be seen on camera removing baggies of methamphetamine internally and crushing the meth into the floor before trying to sweep the meth down a floor drain.
Mix and Melvin could be seen eating the plastic bags.. …
The tree were removed and transported to a medical facility to be checked and scanned.
Later that day, the holding cell where Mix, Melvin and Lee were being held was processed with multiple testing kits being used in the process each testing positive for methamphetamine.
As a result, Lee has been charged with Possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony; furnishing or possessing prohibited articles, a class B felony; Possession of drug paraphernalia with purpose to use methamphetamine, a class D felony; tampering with physical evidence, a class D felony; Possession of a controlled substance, a class D felony; unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes, a class B felony; and misdemeanor possession of marijuana and Colanzepam.
Her bond was set at $50,000.
Mix has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony; furnishing or possessing prohibited articles, a class B felony; unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes, a class B felony; tampering with physical evidence a class D felony and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $50,000.
Melvin has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, a class B felony; furnishing or possessing prohibited articles, a class B felony; unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes, a class B felony; tampering with physical evidence a class D felony and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Her bond was set at $50,000.
Lauren is a an award-winning journalist who decided after 10 years of newspaper experience to venture out. Hallmark Times was born.
