Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Pair Staying At Local Motel Arrested On Narcotics Charges
Lawrenceburg Now
Two persons staying at a local motel were arrested on narcotics charges after an alert police detective noticed what appeared to be drug traffic.
In a report filed through the Lawrenceburg Police Department the detective reports that, in the vicinity of David Crockett Motel on East Gaines Street, he initially noticed that a local woman whose driver’s license had been revoked, pulled into the parking lot in a red Chevrolet S-10 truck. He reports that the woman, identified as twenty-two year old Ashley Nicole Counce of 1950 Norton Drive, exited the vehicle and went into a motel room.
The detective indicates that after he confirmed that she had no valid license, he opted to wait for Counce to exit the room to confront her. While there, he said that he and another police officer saw several people pull up, go into the room briefly, then exit and leave. He said that the activity “appeared to be drug traffic coming in and out.”
While the other officer remained at the scene, the detective went to obtain a warrant, charging Counce with driving on a revoked driver’s license. He returned and reports that, before he could approach the room, Counce exited with twenty-seven year old Edward Shane Olive of 11 Bennett Drive, Leoma. Olive got into the driver’s seat of the truck and began to pull away. The detective noted that he had arrested Olive for driving on a suspended license in January, and knew that he, too, had no valid driver’s license.
The detective approached the truck and ordered Olive to stop and exit. He said both Counce and Olive “began to move around in the vehicle very quickly,” and in a suspicious manner. To ensure officer safety, he said that he drew his weapon, then gave the orders again more loudly.
He said that both Olive and Counce complied with the orders. When they approached the truck, he said that he and the officer “could smell the overwhelming odor of raw marijuana” emanating from within.
The detective reports that he found a baggy that contained marijuana on Olive’s person, along with a marijuana joint concealed inside of a cigarette pack in his front pocket. Counce then handed over some marijuana she had concealed in her bra. They confessed that there were some drugs and syringes inside the motel room and granted consent, allowing a search to be conducted. During the search officers seized contraband that included pills of Opana, Methadone, and morphine, a baggy that contained several marijuana roaches, a baggy bearing crystal meth residue, digital scales bearing drug residue, and a package of rolling papers. Due to inclement weather, their truck was towed so that a search could be conducted under better conditions.
Counce and Olive were transported to the Lawrence County Detention Center. During the booking process officers seized $272 believed to be the proceeds of illegal drug sales. Three cell phones were seized out of the truck.
The detective reports, “While I was filling out warrants…a known and confirmed drug dealer was calling one of the cell phones recovered from the truck.” Reports show that the truck was seized at that time because “it was being used to transport or in some manor facilitate the sale of illegal narcotics.”
Both Counce and Olive were booked under charges of possession of narcotics for the purpose of resale and possession of drug paraphernalia. Counce was additionally charged with driving on a revoked driver’s license, and Olive for driving on a suspended driver’s license. Bond for Counce was set at $11,000 while Olive’s bond was set at $7,000.
Both Counce and Olive were scheduled an initial appearance in General Sessions Court on March 3, 2016.
