Three Eldon women face felony charges related to the distribution of imitation controlled substances after a search warrant was conducted Tuesday at Puff N Snuff Smoke Shop in Eldon.
According to a news release issued by Miller County Prosecuting Attorney Matt Howard, the investigation came in the wake of a civil lawsuit seeking an injunction to have the Eldon retail smoke shop padlocked as a nuisance.
During the executive of the search warrant July 22, one person in the premises was immediately taken into custody and two additional suspects were subsequently arrested over the next 36 hours, Howard said.
According to Eldon Police Officer Robert Tamm's probable cause statements for each of the women arrested, the Eldon Police Department arranged a controlled buy of imitation controlled substance from Puff N Stuff, which is located at 1900 Business Highway 54 in Eldon, on June 30 using an informant. When the informant made contact with the employee who was working at the time, he asked to see the book of "fake." The cashier then told the informant which one he should try stating that it was the best one they had and she sold him a 5-gram bag for $32.37, the probable cause statement said.
The informant then returned to Puff N Snuff approximately one hour and 20 minutes later and told the same cashier that his friends "really enjoyed the "fake'" and he wanted some more. The cashier then sold the informant a 2-gram bag for $17, the probable cause statement said. While the cashier was ringing up the sale she told the information he should try the "chronic" because it was supposed to be even better. In addition, the name on the receipt given to the informant was "Robin," one of the probable cause statements said.
Robin Parker, 48, Eldon, was charged with two counts of sale of an imitation controlled substance.
Kaye Barnhart, 58, Eldon, was charged with one count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.
Pamela Jo White-Wood, 47, Eldon, was charged with one count of sale of an imitation controlled substance.
According to the probable cause statements, Tamm said Parker stated during their interview that she and the other employees who work at Puff N Snuff "know that the people who buy the imitation controlled substance are misusing the produce by smoking it." During Wood's interview with Tamm, she also mimicked Parker's statement and allegedly said as recently as two months ago she sold a "fake" knowing the customers was buying it to smoke, as noted in Wood's probable cause statement.
According to Barnhart's probable cause statement, Barnhart told Tamm she and other employees who work at Puff N Snuff know that the people who buy the imitation controlled substance that she referred to as "aroma therapy," are misusing the product by smoking it. Barnhart also allegedly told Tamm she had sold the product to customers within the last year who would later come in and have trouble talking or standing. Even though she knew they were smoking it, Barnhart would sell them more, according to her probable cause statement.
Each of the felony counts carries a maximum possible punishment of up to four years in the Missouri Department of Corrections, and a fine of up to $5,000. Bond for each suspect was set at $10,000 on each separate felony count filed.
Arraignment for all three has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17 before Judge Ken Oswald.
Because of the prior involvement of federal authorities, Howard said that his office and Eldon Police Department were in the process of consulting with the Assistant U.S. Attorney's office in Jefferson City before proceeding with any other prosecution referrals.
Howard said that the investigation remains ongoing with the possibility of additional criminal charges as the case proceeds.
Howard filed the civil nuisance suit against Puff N Snuff Tuesday, July 22, as well. The suit seeks a court order to shut down the shop for at least one year to halt ongoing activity that constitutes a public nuisance, including selling and distributing cannabinoids, imitation controlled substance analogues and their respective paraphernalia, according to Howard's petition.
Law enforcement have received numerous reports that customers of the defendants "have consumed the substances described above and have suffered physical harm to their health and well-being," the petition states.
The Puff N Snuff shop has been the subject of enforcement action by the U.S. attorney since October 2013, when a federal grand jury handed up an indictment against one of the listed owners of the property, and a federal civil forfeiture action has also been filed against the business.
The action by Howard to try to end the shop's activities comes as a result of evidence recently gathered during the undercover phase of an ongoing criminal investigation by the Eldon Police Department.
The court has issued an order for the owners of the business and real estate to appear for a hearing on Aug. 7 and make any objections and show cause as to why the court should not grant a preliminary injunction to stop or close the business pending a final trial on the nuisance suit.