GILLETTE, Wyo. — A K-9 sniff test of a building at the Council of Community Services alerted police to a unit containing multiple types of drugs, which led to the tenant’s arrest on August 28.
According to the charged individual’s criminal affidavit, Gillette police officers were roaming the Phase III building at the Way Station, the Council of Community Services homeless shelter, and conducting open-air sniff tests with their K-9 units. One dog would go door to door, sniffing the seams between the door and the frame but not entering the units.
The Council of Community Services describes the Phase III units it rents out as long-term housing solutions for “individuals with a mental health disability who have experienced chronic homelessness.”
One of the sniff tests alerted police to the potential presence of narcotics in the unit temporarily housing suspect Tara Green. She is presumed innocent until she pleads or is found guilty.
She allowed officers to search her apartment after gaining control of her dog, despite the fact that she was not present.
When she arrived, grabbed the dog, and began to leave the apartment, officers reportedly noticed her leaving with a blue bag stashed under her armpit. According to the police, she reported that it belonged to a friend and that she had no idea what was inside.
Police reportedly searched the bag and discovered 5 grams of suspected marijuana. A field test would later confirm this suspicion. Officers also discovered a spoon with a white crystalline substance caked on it, which they suspected was methamphetamine.
Officers discovered something while searching the rest of the apartment.2 grams of liquid meth in a syringe stored in a sunglasses container, another gram of crystal meth in a vanity, and 14 different drug paraphernalia items such as pipes and straws.
Green reportedly told police that all of the items listed above belonged to different people who had visited her apartment. According to her affidavit, some of those items were discovered near personal belongings such as her Social Security card and underwear.
Green faced three felony drug charges: crystal meth, liquid meth, and THC. Each of these charges carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, $5,000 in fines, or both.
She is facing felony charges in part due to previous drug convictions. In 1992, she was charged with possessing a controlled substance in North Carolina. In 1999, she was charged with possession in Casper.
Green will appear for a preliminary hearing on Monday, September 8. Until then, she has been given a $7,500 cash or surety bond.
