Wednesday, June 15, 2022 - A Sallisaw woman was arrested May 31 and charged with the unlawful possession of a controlled drug with intent to distribute.
Crystal Rose Whisnant, 31, could face up to five years in the Department of Corrections and a fine of up to $20,000 if she is convicted of the felony charge. She was also charged with two misdemeanors: possession of a controlled dangerous substance and the unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case, on May 31, two Sallisaw police officers were patrolling north of the intersection of South Wheeler Avenue and South Opdyke facing southbound when they spotted a black Volkswagen Jetta headed northbound on Opdyke. As the car pulled up to the stop sign, it failed to stop behind the sign and the driver did not signal that it was turning onto South Wheeler Avenue, prompting them to initiate a traffic stop.
The car was occupied by a male driver and Whisnant, his passenger.
The officers asked the two for their identification, which the driver provided, but Whisnant did not. Police took Whisnant’s name and birth date to check her records.
One of the officers called a Sequoyah County sheriff’s deputy to bring his K-9 to do a “free air” sniff while they were waiting for Whisnant’s information to come back. The dog alerted on the vehicle.
About a week before this incident, Whisnant had been arrested and told police that she previously was selling fentanyl but was not using it.
After the dog alerted, police officers began to search the vehicle. While that search was going on, officers also patted down the driver and Whisnant. Officers found a piece of aluminum foil on the passenger’s side of the vehicle. The foil had a blue pill inside it with a burned residue around it.
Police also discovered hundreds of clear plastic bags in the car’s back seat, along with a clear bag filled with a white, crystalline substance and another clear bag containing a leafy, green substance. The suspected drugs were sent to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for further testing.
Whisnant was arrested. The driver was released.
Andrea Adams, Staff Writer
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