Posted 1:43 pm Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Wrong Number Connects Drug Seller With Police
By KENNETH DEAN
Staff Writer
It turned out to be the wrong number the 51-year-old Lindale woman was texting looking for a buyer for her marijuana.
Staff Writer
It turned out to be the wrong number the 51-year-old Lindale woman was texting looking for a buyer for her marijuana.
Instead of making a drug deal, she was arrested by the Smith County Sheriff’s undercover narcotics team, who she unknowingly had been texting.
Debra Langham was arrested Tuesday and charged with felony possession of marijuana after she set up a deal to meet ‘the buyer” at a location on West Gentry Parkway.
Lt. Tony Dana said Ms. Langham began texting an employee of the sheriff’s office a couple of weeks ago about a possible marijuana buy.
“At the time our narcotics team was really busy and we just couldn’t get to it, but she started texting again Monday and the officers got involved and played along with the texts,” he said.
Dana said Ms. Langham told the deputies what kind of vehicle she would be driving and where to meet her and at what time.
“The narcotics officers sat in a position where they could see her if she did show up and when she did they waited until she left the parking lot to have a marked unit conduct a traffic stop,” he said.
What deputies found inside the car was half a pound of marijuana, valued at $400.
Dana said Ms. Langham was charged and taken to the Smith County Jail where she was later released on a $5,000 bond.
“This all happened because apparently she put in the wrong number to text when this all began several weeks ago,” he said.
Lt. Tony Dana said Ms. Langham began texting an employee of the sheriff’s office a couple of weeks ago about a possible marijuana buy.
“At the time our narcotics team was really busy and we just couldn’t get to it, but she started texting again Monday and the officers got involved and played along with the texts,” he said.
Dana said Ms. Langham told the deputies what kind of vehicle she would be driving and where to meet her and at what time.
“The narcotics officers sat in a position where they could see her if she did show up and when she did they waited until she left the parking lot to have a marked unit conduct a traffic stop,” he said.
What deputies found inside the car was half a pound of marijuana, valued at $400.
Dana said Ms. Langham was charged and taken to the Smith County Jail where she was later released on a $5,000 bond.
“This all happened because apparently she put in the wrong number to text when this all began several weeks ago,” he said.
