Drug market boiling over
BY ALYSSA MEIER
Editor
A 25-pound drug bust near Turtle Lake last week is evidence of a rapidly-booming drug market in McLean County, and targeted efforts by local law enforcement to combat the problem.
McLean County Sheriff J.R. Kerzmann had mixed feelings after a record-setting drug seizure north of Turtle Lake last week. The bust, which uncovered over 22 pounds of meth in a car’s hidden compartment, is cause for celebration, but also for concern, Kerzmann said.
“It’s a proud moment for our department, but it’s sad in the same sense that we have this big of a problem in the state,” Kerzmann said.
An officer driving on Highway 41 north of Turtle Lake Oct. 10 observed a vehicle with out-of-state plates driving erratically on the road. After pulling the driver over, the deputy noticed some red flags.
“When the traffic stop was made, (the officer) asked her some questions, and she said she was going to a baby shower in Fargo, and then it was in Parshall,” McLean County Detective Aaron Matties said. “She couldn’t keep her story straight.”
The driver, 34-year-old Selica Fender of Sacramento, Calif., consented to a search of her vehicle, a seemingly-risky decision made intentionally, Matties said.
