Allegedly had 143.7 grams of cocaine in car

A pair of people are in jail after the police did a search of their vehicle and found what officers believe to be over 100 grams of cocaine.

According to affidavits filed with the Ironton Municipal Court, on Sunday, Ironton Police Department Patrolman Chance Blankenship was patrolling on Mulberry Street when a red Nissan failed to use a turn signal.

Because it was in a high drug traffic area, he called the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department to have the K9 handler Sgt. Steve Sisler to head to his location.

Blankenship stopped the car in front of Ironton High School for a stop sign violation and said he came into contact with the vehicle’s driver, Sean P. Sweeney, 51, of Ironton, and passenger, Jessica B. Dye, 42, of Ironton.

After getting Sweeney’s license, insurance card and vehicle registration, Blankenship asked if there were any illegal drugs in the car and Sweeney and Dye both answered “no.”

According to the affidavits, the K9 Dextor alerted to possible drugs in the car. Sweeney and Dye were searched and an officer found a “roach,” a small amount of burnt marijuana, on Dye, as well as mixer beaters with a white substance on them.

That gave the officers probable cause to search the vehicle and they said they found a black book bag on the driver’s side of the car.

According to the affidavits, when the bag was opened, officers found an electric mixer with beaters containing a white substance, a glass measuring cup with a white powdery substance on it, a knife with white residue and a clear baggie containing a large amount of white powdery substance.

After Sweeney was read his Miranda rights, he was asked what was in the bag and police said he replied that it was baking soda. Dye said the same thing after she was read her rights.

Blankenship doubted that it was baking soda and Sweeney and Dye were taken to the Lawrence County Jail. The substance was field test and it tested positive for cocaine.

At the IPD office, Blankenship again field tested the white powder and it again came back as cocaine. It weighed 143.7 grams.

Sweeney and Dye were both charged first-degree felony possession of cocaine and first-degree felony illegal manufacture of drugs.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges in court on Monday.

They are being held in the jail on $100,000 bail.