Swansea, SC (Paul Kirby) – A member of the Swansea Police Department was conducting property checks Saturday night when the officer discovered a Jeep parked in the town with an improper tag. The officer ran the plate displayed on the Jeep and it came back registered to a Chevy.
According to the Swansea Police Department’s report, the officer then made contact with the occupants of the vehicle. He immediately recognized one person in the vehicle, Katie McKenzie Leavitt, 25, of Gaston, as a known drug user. After obtaining verbal permission to search the vehicle, the Swansea officer located a meth pipe under the vehicle’s gear shifter. He also found a digital scale behind the driver’s seat with what appeared to be narcotic residue on it.
The officer detained the suspect in handcuffs and advised her of her rights. She waived those and was then asked if she had narcotics on her. She admitted she had a suboxone strip secreted in her bra and ice hidden in her crotch. The officer asked her to remove those items which she did. They were then turned over to the officer. The ice was approximately 4.5 grams.
The suspect was the placed under arrest and charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Possession with the Intent to Distribute methamphetamine. She was later transported to and booked into the Lexington County Detention Center. The other occupant of the vehicle was found to have violated no laws and was allowed to leave the scene.
All suspects arrested are allowed due process through the law. They are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
