RICHLAND CO.— A Parkersburg dope felon has found himself back in the headlines and behind bars charged with Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine and Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine less than five grams.
According to information filed in the case, on November 5, at approximately 3 p.m. Capt. Mike Bertin and Deputy Kevin McCormick, of the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, executed a search warrant at the home of David Charles Stremme, 47, of 270 North Oak Tree Rd., Parkersburg.
When the officers arrived. Stremme’s vehicle was not present.
“Deputy McCormick knocked and announced ‘Sheriff’s Office Search Warrant’’ several times but there was no answer,” Bertin said.
As the screen door leading into the home was not locked and missing both a screen and glass, officers made entry.
Tourniquet, needle, residue found
As they conducted an initial quick walk through the house, both officers continued to announce they were from the sheriff’s office and had a search warrant.
Again, there was no response.
As a more systematic search was conducted, Bertin noticed the trashcan in the kitchen was empty and, given the general disarray of the house, found the empty trashcan curious.
On a shelf in a small bedroom, located off the living room, Bertin located a small blue container in which he discovered two silver spoons with a white residue, a piece of straw, ties, a hypodermic syringe and a syringe cap.
“On one of the spoons there were two small pieces of cotton,” Bertin said. “Through my training and experience I know that cotton is used when injecting methamphetamine.”
Also located on a desk in the same room was a piece of aluminum foil with burnt residue.
In Stremme’s bathroom Bertin located a piece of rubber tubing, which had been tied into a knot.
Bertin said spotting hair stuck to the tubing heightened his suspicions it had been used as a tourniquet to inject methamphetamine.
As the officers continued to search the home, a red truck pulled into the driveway.
It was confirmed by Deputy McCormick to belong to Stremme.
McCormick also confirmed that he recognized Stremme in the driver’s seat.
Bertin exited the house and informed Stremme of the search warrant and what had been found.
Stremme asked if he were going to be arrested, to which Bertin said yes, advising he would be charged with meth-related offenses.
“I use meth…”
That’s about the time Bertin said Stremme started telling him about his eye.
“He began to flip his eyelid around appearing to be trying to pull something out of his eye,” Bertin said. “I asked him if I could see his arms and asked him about what appeared to be injection points, including one that appeared to be fresh.”
And that’s when Stremme started fiddling with his eye again.
“As he was messing with his eye, I observed what appeared to be old injection points on the inside of his bicep and asked him what it was,” Bertin said. “He put his arm down and said, ‘I use meth, I wish I didn’t, but I do.’”
At that point Stremme is said to have begun to get agitated and was taken into custody by McCormick and transported to the county jail.
It appears that Mr. Stremme does more than just “use meth” because he was booked on one count of Unlawful Delivery of Methamphetamine, along with one count of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine.
Drug history
Stremme is a drug felon from 2003 when he was convicted of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance (prescription medication) for which he was sentenced to 30 months probation and ordered to pay $11,190 in fines and fees, which he did.
In 2009 he was convicted of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine less than five grams and was sentenced to two years probation, ordered to attend a special facility for drug treatment and pay $3,112 in fines and fees, which he did.
Some believe Stremme’s ability to avoid prison time may very well be connected to his ability to pay tens of thousands of dollars in fines and fees: Stremme was released from custody six days after his arrest after posting a $15,000 cash bond.
Lawrence woman charged with meth
In unrelated Richland County drug cases, first, a Lawrence County felon has been busted there on a drug charge.
According to court documents, on Nov. 5, at County Road 750 North and 900 East, Judy M. Royse, 58, of 1292 Bugaboo Lane, Sumner, driving a 2000 silver Chrysler van, was found to be in possession of less than five grams of meth.
She was booked on one count of Unlawful Possession of Meth.
Royse was convicted of felony Obstruction of Justice/Destroying Evidence in 2005 and was sentenced to 18 months probation.
She has narrowly escaped drug charges in Lawrence County in the past including Methamphetamine Manufacturing 100-400 grams, in 2010, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine less than five grams in 2013.
All of the Lawrence drug charges were ultimately dismissed.
Royse is scheduled to be in Richland County court February 26 for a 1 p.m. preliminary hearing.
Olney man pleads to meth charge
David Lee Jones, 43, of 200 East Glenwood Ave., Olney, was been charged with Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine after authorities say on December 5 he was found at his home in possession of less than five grams of the drug.
At the time of his arrest, Jones was serving an 18-month conditional discharge sentence handed down September 5 after he was convicted of Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
He was also ordered to pay $1,452 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $1,302.
On Dec. 18 Jones pled guilty with the understanding there would be a four-year cap on any prison time imposed.
He was released from custody on a recognizance bond until a sentencing hearing scheduled for March 19 at 10 a.m.
Teen charged with obstruction, drugs
Macey E. Osborn, 18, of 729 North Morgan St., Olney, has been charged with Obstruction of Justice after authorities say on Dec. 13, she knowingly concealed information from police in order to prevent the arrest of Dale E. Boatman, Jr., 26, who was wanted on an outstanding arrest warrant charging him with Resisting a Peace Officer and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis less than 2.5 grams.
Subsequent to her arrest, Osborn was also charged with one count of Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia identified as a clear glass smoking pipe along with various other pipes with intent they be used to ingest and/or introduce cannabis into her body and Unlawful Possession of Cannabis less than 2.5 grams.
Osborn was released from police custody after a $750 cash bond was posted on her behalf by Kathy Maxey of 801 East Elm St., Olney.
Boatman history
Boatman, also of Olney, is a convicted felon from 2000 when he was found guilty of Obstruction of Justice and sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $1,461 in fines and fees, of which he still owes $481.
He is also a convicted drug felon, having been found guilty in 2004 of Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine Manufacturing Chemicals with intent to manufacture less than 15 grams for which he was sentenced to two more years probation and fined another $2,517, of which he’s still paid nothing.
In 2005, while still serving the 2004 probation sentence, Boatman was convicted of Aggravated Battery and sentenced to 42 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections and ordered to pay $469 in fines and fees, of which he has paid nothing.
Boatman was convicted again in 2008, this time for Unlawful Manufacture/Delivery of Cannabis 10-13 grams and sentenced to 168 days in the county jail and two years probation, which he violated and received another two years probation July 8, 2010.