A man and woman found sleeping in a car on private property in Miller County last month have been charged with multiple drug crimes.
Deputies with the Miller County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call Nov. 7 from a woman who was concerned at seeing a silver Nissan Altima parked in her mother-in-law’s carport on Miller County Road 482 when nobody was supposed to be in or at the residence, a probable cause affidavit states.
The deputies who responded noticed the silver Altima sitting in the carport with the dome light on and two people sitting inside. As Deputy Jesse Mathis approached the driver’s side, he noticed a man, later identified as Jeremia Rothmeyer, 34, of Fouke, Ark., sleeping in the driver’s seat. A woman, later identified as Lori Dee Lewis, 32, of Fouke, was sleeping in the passenger seat.
“I then noticed a silver and black box sitting in the lap of Mr. Rothmeyer,” the affidavit states. “Inside the box I observed what appeared to be several items of drug paraphernalia.”
Rothmeyer woke up when deputies opened the car door. He and Lewis were both taken into custody.
Inside the car deputies discovered a used syringe in the center console and another under the driver’s seat.
“We located the bottom of a tin can that had a black burnt mark on it in the cup holder along with three more individual empty baggies beside it,” according to the affidavit. “In the driver side floor board was another open blue baggie with a black tar residue inside.”
The black residue allegedly tested positive for heroin when field tested at the sheriff’s office. When inventorying items collected from the car, officers discovered another bag containing suspected methamphetamine.
Miller County prosecutors recently filed formal charges against Lewis and Rothmeyer. Rothmeyer is charged with possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine, under two grams and possession of drug paraphernalia, both of which are punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Rothmeyer is also charged with possession of heroin which is punishable by three to ten years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Lewis is facing the same charges as Rothmeyer and an additional charge of possession of a controlled substance with the purpose to deliver for which she faces three to ten years and a fine up to $10,000, if convicted.
Both defendants are currently free on bond.
