3 arrested for trafficking meth

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Laura Ellis, 34 of Clinton, Ronald Taylor, 33 of Clinton, and Gabriela Torres, 37 of Weatherford, were arrested June 6 for allegedly trafficking methamphetamine, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the Custer County District Court.

Ellis, Taylor and Torres all have been charged with trafficking in meth after being arrested June 6. Ellis also has been charged with failure to comply with compulsory insurance law, operating a vehicle without a proper license plate, and failure to stop at a stop sign, according to court records.

Clinton Police Officer Adam Mitchell was patrolling South 20th Street in Clinton June 6 when he observed a silver Dodge minivan with an expired tag allegedly stop beyond the clearly marked stop line at a stop sign. Officer Mitchell activated his emergency lights to initiate a traffic stop, court records show.

The driver, Ellis, gave Officer Mitchell a valid driver’s license, but was unable to show proof of insurance. Officer Mitchell asked Ellis to exit the vehicle and dispatch advised Ellis was clear of warrants, according to court records.

While Officer Mitchell was writing citations for the traffic violations, Officer Austin Trogdon made contact with the passengers, Taylor and Torres. Officer Trogdon asked the passengers to exit the vehicle after he requested identification from them, court records show.

Officer Trogdon observed an open Smirnoff Smash can in plain view, between the two front seats. To ensure no other open containers were in the vehicle, a search was conducted. Officer Trogdon advised Ellis her vehicle would be impounded due to the tag being expired by 7 months, according to court records.

While taking inventory of the vehicle, Officer Trogdon found a plastic sack with a white crystal-like substance in the back driver’s side door pocket, which is the seat Torres had been sitting in. The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine, court records show.

After being advised of his Miranda Warning, all three subjects denied the methamphetamine belonging to them. All three subjects were arrested and taken to the Clinton City Jail. The vehicle was impounded, according to court records.

Once at the CPD, the methamphetamine was weighed and came in at 107 grams, court records show. In Oklahoma, possession 20 grams of methamphetamine can be considered trafficking.

All three subjects are scheduled to appear in court July 24, according to court records.