MARIETTA - The Major Crimes Task Force recovered $3,000 in black-tar heroin from a Marietta woman arrested Wednesday night.
According to a release from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, authorities suspected Stacy R. Thompson, 26, of 116 Harmar St. of being involved in drugs after doing surveillance on the Super 8 motel room where she was staying. During the stop, a K-9 detected drugs, and upon searching Thompson's vehicle, officers found drug paraphernalia and arrested her, the release says.
On the way to jail, Thompson was told she would face conveyance charges if she had any drugs on her. It was then she told officers she had 40 small, individual balloons of heroin, each about the size of a pea, in a body cavity, said Washington County sheriff's Sgt. Pat Gherke. Sixty were later found, he said.
In addition to the balloons and paraphernalia, authorities recovered $300 in cash.
Gherke said authorities suspected Thompson had drugs on her and if she hadn't admitted to having them, they might have sent her to the hospital for an exam.
"If they have it concealed in a body cavity, it's very difficult for us to prove that's where it is. That's where our interviews come in and if need be, the medical personnel help (us find the narcotics)," he said.
Thompson has been charged with a third-degree felony offense of possession of heroin and remains in jail after bond was set Thursday at $15,000. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Officials with the Washington County Sheriff's Office, the Marietta Police Department and the Major Crimes Task Force were involved in the surveillance and arrest.
Gherke said local law enforcement agencies are seeing more heroin in the area than in recent years.
"It's coming back now," he said. "This seems like a small quantity, but for this area it's quite a significant haul for us to take 60 balloons of heroin off the street."
Authorities said the balloons would likely have been sold within hours.
Sheriff Larry Mincks said the demand is so great that the balloons are marked up quite a bit from their cost in Columbus. In Thompson's case, he said, she was purchasing the narcotic from Columbus to meet her own needs.
Mincks said she purchased the balloons for $10 apiece, but they could go for $50 each locally.
