Tips lead to heroin arrests

Acting on a series of tips from informants, Boone County Sheriff’s Department detectives arrested two Jefferson City women early Thursday morning on suspicion of possessing about a gram of heroin and a gram of crack cocaine.

Andrea Reid, 33, and Mary Ann Wilson, 31, were pulled over along U.S. 63 near Ashland at 12:25 a.m. after detectives received information that drugs were being transported to Columbia from Jefferson City over the past several days.

“We had an opening where we thought we could make an arrest,” said Detective Ken Kreigh.

Reid was in custody in lieu of $5,000 bond Thursday afternoon. Wilson posted a $5,000 bond and was released.

The substance found was described as black tar heroin, which is solid, dark in color and comes from Mexico. Heroin from Southeast Asia, more highly refined, is white.

“We get about two to three (heroin seizures) a year, I guess,” Kreigh said. “Heroin is something we don’t want to get started.”

The estimated street value of the heroin, which was packaged in 10 small bags, is around $1,000, said Kreigh. There was not enough evidence to charge the suspects with trafficking, he said. “A heroin addict would buy one (of the bags) and it would last him for a day or two,” he said.

Detectives followed the suspects’ vehicle to Jefferson City, then stopped it as it was returning to Columbia. The driver of the car, who was not arrested, consented to a search, a surprisingly common occurrence in drug seizures, Kreigh said.

“I think a lot of people think it’s hidden well enough that it won’t be found,” he said.