(SPRINGVILLE) – Three people were arrested after the Lawrence County Drug Task Force served a search warrant at a home at 231 Greer Lane on Wednesday afternoon.
Officers requested a warrant from Lawrence County Superior Court I Judge John Plummer III on Tuesday. Officers served the warrant at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday.
Police arrested 35-year-old Valerie Parsley, 36-year-old Michael Parsley, and 36-year-old Thomas Burton on charges of dealing meth, possession of meth over 5 grams, possession of marijuana, unlawful possession of syringes, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to a probable cause affidavit, when officers approached the house they were met by Thomas Burton.
Burton told police he had a bag of marijuana in his pockets and that he had just finished smoking a “fat blunt”.
Burton told police he had grown the marijuana himself. He was detained while officers searched the home.
Police found Valerie and Michael Parsley laying in a bed.
Michael Parsley told police he would show officers were the syringes were located because he didn’t want an officer to get stuck with a needle.
Officers found needles, smoking devices, and baggies on a coffee table. In Thomas’ room officers found a duffel bag. Inside the duffel bag were more syringes.
In a utility closet, officers found a container filled with more syringes.
In the bedroom of Valerie and Michael, officers found a safe that contained baggies of meth, smoking devices, spoons with meth residue, marijuana, and other drug paraphernalia.
In total police seized more than 11.33 grams of marijuana that was in Thomas’ pocket, 5.01 grams of meth, and 72 syringes.
Michael Parsley told police he was not a “big time dealer” and that his friends would come to him when they wanted something. He then overcharged them and took their money to the main dealer where he would buy the drug. He then would take some of the drugs for himself before giving the remaining amount to his friends.
Michael Parsley said he had used meth the morning of the arrest.
