A Bloomfield woman, who said she was on her way to rehab, was arrested when a deputy found her in possession of methamphetamine, controlled substances and syringes.

Charlotta Lucille Preece, 40, Bloomfield, was arrested by Deputy Sergeant Jordan Allor of the Greene County Sheriff's Department on Tuesday, November 15.

Deputy Sergeant Allor and Deputy Andrew Weeks were at a gas station in Bloomfield at 4:16 PM Tuesday when Allor saw Preece come out of the store and get into the passenger seat of a silver 2003 Dodge Caravan. There was a man in the driver’s seat but he couldn't tell who it was due to tinted windows.

Allor had been told that Fred Stewart had been staying with Preece at her residence and there was a warrant out for his arrest. Someone had also reported that Stewart had been driving up and down County Road 275 West recklessly in a vehicle matching the description of the Dodge Caravan.

So Allor approached the driver’s door and knocked on the window. The man in the driver’s seat was not Stewart and Preece told Allor that Stewart was in rehab. During the conversation, Allor said he could smell marijuana coming from inside the vehicle and he asked both the driver and Preece if there was any marijuana in the vehicle and they both said no then the driver allegedly admitted he had smoked marijuana around the vehicle earlier in the day. Both subjects were asked to exit the vehicle.

When they got out, they were both placed in handcuffs and Allor saw a small clear zip bag containing a white object inside a door handle. Preece allegedly told the deputy she was on her way to rehab and he should just let her go but the deputy said he was going to search the vehicle. She allegedly said there was no dope in the vehicle but there might be something she had used previously.

During the search, deputies located a burnt hand rolled cigarette containing green plant material, a pill identified as alprazolam, another pill identified as oxycodone hydrochloride and a hypodermic syringe that field tested positive for methamphetamine. They also located a clear plastic container containing a white crystal substance that also field tested positive for methamphetamine, another hypodermic syringe and a couple more pills.

The driver said these items were not his and he did not know who they belonged to. Preece said the items were not hers and the deputies should just let her go to rehab. She was then told she was going to jail because she had syringes and she allegedly responded by sayng, “I just got done telling you that there is something that I used,” and when asked what she was using, she said meth.

The driver was released from the scene and allowed to leave.

Preece was transported to the Green County Sheriff's Department where she was booked into the Greene County Jail at 5:20 PM and held without bond pending her court appearance.

When Preece appeared in Greene Superior Court earlier today for her initial hearing via two way video connection between the jail and the courtroom, she was charged with:

Possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony,
Unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony, and
Two counts of possession of a controlled substance, both as Class A misdemeanors.

A public defender was appointed to represent her and her bond was set at $25,000 surety with 10% cash allowed.