Bad headlight leads to drug conviction
June 11, 2013
A burned out headlight brought about a traffic stop in January that resulted in multiple drug charges and a felony conviction for the passenger, Anne Marie Solt, 42, Naples, who pled guilty and was sentenced last week.

According to court records, a sheriff's deputy noticed the bad headlight and made the stop at 6:55 p.m. on Deep Creek Loop. While talking to the driver, the officer noted that Solt was a bit too animated, raising his suspicion that she was under the influence.

When asked, she told the deputy that she hadn't used in several months, but as he watched her continue to act furtively after returning to his vehicle, he called dispatch and requested that a K-9 be brought in.

The drug-sniffing dog and a Border Patrol agent soon arrived and confirmed the deputy's suspicion, and a quick search turned up an assortment of paraphernalia in a handbag on the dash in front of Solt; two syringes, an altered ink pen with burnt reside and a large spoon.

Solt admitted the bag was hers and that she'd used methamphetamines about four hours earlier. She was taken into custody and transported to the sheriff's office, where a more thorough search turned up a small rock of crystal meth and four promethazine hydrochloride pills, a sedative for which she had no prescription.

She was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a legend drug without a prescription, container or label.

The latter charge was ultimately dismissed by the prosecutor and she pled guilty to the first two charges.

She appeared before Judge Barbara Buchanan June 4 in Boundary County court, where she was handed a prison sentence of two to five years, suspended and placed on five years supervised probation. She was fined a total of $307.50, ordered to pay $300 in restitution and $853 court costs, and given 60 days local jail time, which she had served while awaiting sentencing.

In addition, she must perform 100 hours of community service and undergo both mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment.