Meth possession charge for women who tried to shoplift clothing
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
The following felony arrests were reported by officers of the Atmore Police Department (APD) during the period February 24-March 1:
Glenna McComb
Sheryl Tuele
The Pensacola, Fla. women were arrested March 1 on a felony drug possession charge after they tried to leave Walmart wearing clothing that had not been purchased, from which the price tags were still dangling.
Police reports show that officers were sent to the retail store around 10:15 a.m. after dispatchers relayed a shoplifting complaint. There, they contacted the suspects — McComb, 41, and Tuele, 43 — in a vehicle in the parking lot.
Walmart Loss Prevention officers told police the women had swapped tags and were leaving the store wearing clothing they had not purchased that still displayed the price tags.
A probable cause search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of a substance that field-tested positive for methamphetamine, along with a small amount of marijuana, and unspecified items that are commonly used to ingest narcotics.
Each woman was charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, second-degree possession of marijuana, and fourth-degree theft of property. Both remained in jail late Monday afternoon, March 3.
Fred Ward
The 57-year-old Century, Fla. man was arrested on a felony drug possession charge after his vehicle was pulled over when an APD officer noticed the vehicle’s license plate had expired.
According to police reports, the traffic stop and subsequent arrest took place around 7:55 p.m. on February 26 on Alabama 21. The reporting officer “noted suspicious behavior” as he talked with Ward and asked for consent to search the vehicle.
Several kratom pills were found in the vehicle. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, kratom is an herbal supplement that is sold in leafy or capsule form as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and remedy for the symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Kratom is legal in Florida, but Alabama is one of six states in which it is banned outright.
As the officer attempted to take Ward into custody, the Florida man reportedly “picked up a pill that fell on the ground and swallowed it after being ordered not to.”
Ward was booked into the Escambia County Detention Center (ECDC) on one count each of possession of a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence. He was no longer listed on the county jail’s inmate roster on Monday, March 3.
Zacheriah Chavers
The 22-year-old Molino, Fla. man was arrested March 1 after his vehicle was pulled over on South Trammell Street around 11:55 p.m. because it was being driven with its headlights off.
The reporting officer said he noted “several signs of impairment and requested Chavers to perform field sobriety tests.” Chavers failed the tests and was placed under arrest for DUI.
While searching Chavers before taking him to jail, the officer found a small plastic baggie containing a small amount of marijuana. While processing Chavers into the Atmore Municipal Jail, the officer discovered a clear plastic baggie on his person containing a small amount of a substance that field-tested positive for cocaine.
Chavers remained in the ECDC late Monday afternoon, March 3. He is being held on one count each of possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana, second-degree promoting prison contraband and DUI.
Justin Ward
Ward, 35, of Milton, Fla. was arrested March 1 on felony drug possession and numerous other charges after he tried to elude police and crashed into a ditch.
The incident occurred around 8 a.m. on Bell Fork Road when an APD officer tried to pull over a vehicle that was involved in “suspicious activity.” The driver, later identified as Ward, “accelerated at a high rate of speed even though the officer activated his emergency blue lights and siren,” reports show.
Ward reportedly exceeded speeds of 80 miles per hour before crashing into a ditch. He was taken into custody and checked by emergency medical personnel, who reported that he was not injured.
A search of the vehicle revealed a small amount of a substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine, along with a small amount of marijuana, and items commonly used to ingest narcotics.
Ward was charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance, attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He was still on the jail’s inmate roster Monday afternoon, March 3.
David Shaw
The 52-year-old Defuniak Springs, Fla. man was arrested March 1 as a Florida fugitive after his vehicle was pulled over around 1:45 a.m. as it traveled along Alabama 21 without taillights.
A check of Shaw’s driver’s license revealed that he was the subject of an outstanding warrant obtained by Escambia County, Fla. authorities for possession of dangerous drugs.
Shaw was charged here with being a fugitive from justice and was booked into the ECDC, where he remained late Monday afternoon, March 3, awaiting extradition to the Sunshine State.
Brandt Audibert
The 23-year-old Pearl River, La. man was arrested February 28 on a felony drug possession charge after his vehicle was blue-lighted around 8:30 p.m. as it was being driven along Alabama 21 without a license plate.
According to police reports, while the officer was speaking with Audibert he “noticed drug paraphernalia in plain view,” so he had Audibert get out of the vehicle. A probable-cause search led to the discovery of several grams of a substance that field tested positive for methamphetamine, along with “several items that are commonly used to ingest narcotics.”
Audibert was charged with one count each of possession of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance. He remained behind bars late Monday afternoon, March 3.