A routine traffic stop in Saco on Wednesday resulted in drug and welfare abuse charges against two women.
A Saco police officer pulled over a vehicle driven by Belinda Sutton, 38, of Lyman that evening after observing that the passenger, Christina Moreland, was not wearing a seat belt. A police dog alerted officers to the potential presence of drugs.
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Sutton was charged with misdemeanor welfare fraud after she was found with an electronic benefits transfer – or EBT – card belonging to someone else, police said. Similar to credit cards, EBT cards are preloaded with money to purchase groceries through the food stamp program but can also be used to withdraw cash through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and other programs.
Moreland, who is from Dorchester, Mass., refused to return to the police station or submit to a search, so police obtained a warrant authorizing a body-cavity search.
According to Saco police, Moreland, 25, was found to be concealing “a brown powder substance similar in appearance to heroin” as well as Suboxone pills used to treat opiate addictions.
Police said they confiscated 3 grams of heroin, 15 grams of cocaine base, three Suboxone pills and $294 in cash as well as drug paraphernalia.
Moreland, 25, was charged with two counts of felony aggravated drug trafficking and unlawful possession of scheduled drugs.
She was being held at the York County Jail in Alfred on $25,000 bail.
Kevin Miller can be contacted at 317-6256 or at:
kmiller@pressherald.com
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