CARBONDALE — According to authorities, a Carbondale lady was found with a safe holding meth while being evicted.
Tracie Valentin, 50, faces charges of possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to the criminal complaint:
Because of the large number of persons that are normally present at the property, Carbondale police officers were asked to help the Pennsylvania State Constable’s office with an eviction around 11 a.m. on November 8.
Police reported that the tenants of the North Main Street apartment were notorious for narcotics sales and consumption.
Officers arrived and discovered Valentin leaving the residence with a black safe and a pill bottle in her jeans, which seemed to contain plastic bags.
When confronted by authorities, Valentin stated that the safe belonged to her sister.
According to investigators, she then admitted that the safe was hers and contained methamphetamine. She referred to the meth included in the unit as a “ball,” which is the slang term for 3.5 grams of crystal meth.
Valentin consented to open the safe for police officers, which found 4.5 grams of crystal meth and empty bags used to package and distribute drugs. Valentin told officers she sells meth in little packages for $20 each.
Police then searched Valentin’s phone, which had many conversations in which she sold narcotics. Police reported that she looked to have sold a “ball” of meth the day before.
The pill bottle she had in her pocket contained 2.5 grams of crystal meth, 1.6 grams of cocaine, and a folded dollar note with drug traces.
District Judge Joanne Corbett will preside over a preliminary hearing on November 21 at 9:30 a.m. Valentin remains in Lackawanna County Prison on a $20,000 bail.
Source: Carbondale Woman Arrested After Drugs Found During Eviction, Police Say
