On April 5, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit served a search warrant on Eppinger Drive in Port Charlotte, concluding a lengthy investigation with an arrest of suspect Michelle Lynn Barham (3/28/74) on multiple drug charges. The investigation was a partnership between the Sheriff’s Office and the North Port Police Department.
During a search of the residence, for which Barham is the sole occupant and owner, notepads and ledgers that appeared to document drug transactions and weights were located on a bedroom dresser. Nearby on the dresser was a mirror with a white powder on top, which later tested positive for cocaine. A large plastic bag containing 21.2 grams of cocaine was on a desk, surrounded by smaller baggies consistent with the packaging of drugs for sale. Loose prescription pills and marijuana were also observed in the same area, along with THC vaping oil.
$9,095 in U.S. currency was located inside a safe within the residence, some of which included “buy money” (money used to purchase narcotics by an undercover detective – the serial numbers are recorded for later identification) from the North Port Police Department. At the conclusion of the evidence collection, Michelle Barham was arrested and charged with the following:
-Trafficking in Cocaine
-Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Sell
-Possession of a Controlled Substance (THC Oil)
-Possession of a Controlled Substance (Cannabis Edible)
-Possession of a Controlled Substance (Alprazolam)
-Possession of a Controlled Substance (Lorazepam)
-Possession of a Controlled Substance (MDMA)
-Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
In total, 258.6 grams of raw Marijuana, 81.7 grams of edible THC, 37.6 grams of Cocaine, 1.5 grams of Lorazepam, 6.4 grams of Alprazolam, 3 grams of MDMA, 19 THC Pens, and $10,511.00 in U.S. Currency was seized from the residence.
Submit anonymous tips about dealers or drug use in your area by visiting http://www.ccso.org.
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