Birdwell charged with drug trafficking

Friday, March 31, 2017
Tara Birdwell

NEW MADRID, Mo. - A narcotics investigation led to the arrest of a Sikeston woman for drug trafficking.

Tara L. Birdwell was arraigned Monday on the felony of first-degree drug trafficking. Bond is set at $50,000.

According to the probable cause statement, New Madrid County Deputy Ruben White and Sgt. T. Shelly were conducting a narcotics investigation in Marston on Sunday when they received information that Birdwell had approximately one pound of methamphetamine. The informant was able to describe Birdwell’s vehicle, which White located traveling westbound on Highway EE near Marston.

White stated he observed the vehicle veer off the road, then pull back on the roadway.

“At this time I conducted a traffic stop to determine if the unusual operation of the vehicle was due to driver impairment, fatigue or if the driver had a medical condition,” White said in the probable cause.

He noted while speaking with Birdwell she became irate and accused him of harassing her. She also denied having anything illegal in the vehicle and refused to give consent for the officer to search the vehicle, White stated.

The officer said based on Birdwell’s nervous behavior and the information he received earlier during the narcotics investigation, he deployed the county’s drug detection dog, Kazla, who alerted positive to the odor of narcotics after sniffing the vehicle.

During a search of the vehicle, a syringe containing a clear liquid that field-tested positive for methamphetamine was located in Birdwell’s wallet, according to the probable cause statement. Found in her purse was a plastic bag containing a clear rock reside that field-tested positive for methamphetamine.

“Further search of the vehicle recovered a large plastic bag containing four individual bags with a clear rock substance (which) was protruding from underneath the dash near the gas pedal. The clear rock substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine,” White wrote in the probable cause.

According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Department, deputies located approximately 13 ounces of methamphetamine.

Birdwell has three previous convictions for possession of a controlled substance and in 2014 entered a guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance. Currently she is on parole, White noted in the probable cause.

As of Monday afternoon, Birdwell was still in custody. She is scheduled to return to court at 9 a.m. April 3, according to online court records.

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