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Vehicle stop leads to arrests; marijuana, meth and heroin seized
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A vehicle stop earlier this week resulted in two arrests and the seizure of marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin.
Thomas Earl Sheppard, 74, of Chico and 40-year-old Sheri Lynn Hann of Lucerne were arrested following the stop, according to Lt. Steve Brooks of the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
At 11:55 p.m. Wednesday a patrol deputy was traveling on Highway 20 in the Clearlake Oaks area when he noticed a Ford Explorer traveling eastbound with a defective rear tail light, Brooks said.
Brooks said the deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle in the area of Highway 20 and Schindler Street in Clearlake Oaks, identifying the driver as Sheppard. Hann also was in the vehicle.
The deputy requested that Central Dispatch conduct a records check of both Sheppard and Hann. Brooks said Central Dispatch advised that Sheppard was on formal felony probation with a search clause out of Butte County and Hann had an active arrest warrant which was citable.
The deputy had Hann exit the vehicle and when she opened the door, the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle, Brooks said.
Hann gave consent to search her person and her property. Brooks said the deputy was unable to locate any contraband and issued Hann a citation for her warrant, which was also out of Butte County.
The deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and located a hypodermic syringe and two glass smoking pipes in the center console. Brooks said the deputy also located a digital scale under the driver’s seat.
In the seat pouch located on the back of the front passenger seat, the deputy located four plastic bags containing processed marijuana. He estimated that each of the bags contained approximately one ounce of marijuana, Brooks said.
Sitting next to Sheppard in the driver’s seat was a black fanny pack and a pack of Camel cigarettes, Brooks said. Inside the cigarette pack was a glass pipe which was coated with a dark residue.
Inside the fanny pack was a plastic bag containing a white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine, Brooks said. There also was a pill bottle with Sheppard’s name on it, containing 10 individually wrapped plastic bindles containing a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine.
Brooks said the deputy also found inside the fanny pack five individually wrapped bindles, containing a brown substance believed to be heroin and a roll of $20 bills.
Sheppard told the deputy that he sold 2 pounds of marijuana earlier in the day for $2,000. Sheppard said the money located in the fanny pack was from the sale, minus some that he used to pay bills. He also said that he got the heroin and what he believed to be crack cocaine in Oroville, Brooks said.
Brooks said Sheppard believed the methamphetamine was crack cocaine which was for his friend, as he does not use cocaine. Sheppard admitted to smoking heroin but denied selling narcotic substances.
The 11 baggies containing the white crystalline substance had an overall weight of 2.3 grams and were confirmed to be methamphetamine. The five bindles containing a brown substance had a gross weight of 5.1 grams and was confirmed to be heroin, Brooks said.
The four plastic bags containing processed marijuana had a gross weight of 121.6 grams or 4.29 ounces. Brooks said all of the bags of drugs were seized as evidence.
A total of $1,520 was located in the fanny pack and seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings, Brooks said.
Sheppard was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a narcotic for sale, violating the terms of his probation and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia, Brooks said.
Brooks said Sheppard was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Sheppard's bail originally was set at $25,000. However, he remained on custody on Friday, with bail surrendered on his case and bond set at $35,000, according to jail records.
Hann was arrested for the Butte County warrant and released on a citation, Brooks said.
The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force can be reached through its anonymous tip line at 707-263-3663.