A routine traffic stop for alleged speeding and lane violations has led to a gross misdemeanor drunk driving charge and a tacked-on felony count of cocaine possession for an Eagan, Minnesota, woman. A West Saint Paul Police officer claims that an alleged speeding infraction on Robert Street started the investigation September 6.
The officer says that the car was going faster than the posted 40 mile per hour limit for that stretch of South Robert Street. The officer tailed the car into Inver Grove Heights, where the officer claims that the car crossed onto the fog line and the centerline of the road.
The officer claims that the traffic violations led to an investigative stop. During the encounter, the officer claims that the driver displayed indicia of impairment, which led to field sobriety tests. Law enforcement claims that the woman did poorly on those tests. She was arrested on suspicion of driving while impaired.
The woman was taken to the West St. Paul Police station after the DWI arrest. An intake officer took over and conducted a search. That officer suggests that the woman acknowledged having something in her makeup case that could cause the police concerns at the jail. Dakota County officials claim that police seized 0.06 grams of white powder during a search of the makeup case. Authorities claim that the powder tested positive for cocaine.
The woman has been charged with one count of fifth-degree controlled substance crime, on the allegations that she possessed cocaine. She has also been charged with one count of third-degree DWI, a gross misdemeanor level offense carrying a potential jail term of up to a year and up to a $3,000 fine. A final charge of misdemeanor DWI is also reportedly included in the criminal complaint, according to the Eagan Patch.
Source: Eagan Patch, “Charges: Police Find Cocaine on Eagan Woman During Traffic Stop,” David Henke, Sep. 13, 2012
