Sgt. Junior Fields and Deputy Bert Collins responded to 58 Hartsville Pike to assist State Probation with a probation search on Claudine Bartley. Upon arrival, contact was made with Mrs. Bartley’s mother, who confirmed that Mrs. Claudine Bartley was home. However, Mrs. Bartley initially denied living at the location, despite her vehicle being on the property.
Sgt. Fields informed Mrs. Bartley of the upcoming probation search on her vehicle. Despite initial hesitations, she agreed to comply and went back into the house to retrieve the keys. During this time, Sgt. Fields asked Mrs. Bartley’s mother about her daughter’s whereabouts, to which she expressed uncertainty. Sgt. Fields called out for Claudine, eventually locating her outside in her car.
Upon instructing Mrs. Bartley to step away from the vehicle, she tossed the keys into the passenger compartment. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a bag containing methamphetamine. Further inspection found a cut straw with powder residue and an oxycodone pill concealed in Mrs. Bartley’s bra.
State Probation provided Sgt. Fields with messages from Mrs. Bartley’s phone, indicating her involvement in negotiating drug transactions. Following the issuance of her Miranda Warning, Mrs. Bartley admitted to selling pills but asserted that she was not selling her own. She was promptly placed under arrest and transported to the Smith County Jail for processing.
Upon reaching the jail, Mrs. Bartley underwent a drug test administered by State Probation and Parole, testing positive for Methamphetamine, Oxycodone, Fentanyl, Morphine, and Marijuana.
