A Nashville woman was arrested on multiple felony charges after police say she unsuccessfully tried to hide drug-related items during a traffic stop.
Indiana State Police Senior Trooper Allen Deel was driving east on State Road 46 approaching Old State Road 46 in Gnaw Bone at around 2 p.m. March 9 when he noticed the driver of the car in front of him kept looking in his rearview mirror and weaving in his lane, a probable cause affidavit states.
Deel reported that the driver also was going five miles below the speed limit. He continued to follow the car, and when it passed another state police vehicle with its emergency lights activated on the shoulder, it didn’t slow down and actually drove closer to the other state police vehicle.
Deel initiated a traffic stop. As the car was pulling over, he noticed the passenger — Charmin R. Burgess-Varvel, 41 — was leaning forward. Deel approached the passenger side and saw Varvel bent over digging in her purse that was on the floorboard. He asked her to stop and when she leaned back, Deel could tell Varvel was showing signs of methamphetamine use, the police report said.
Varvel was rocking back and forth, moving her hair out of her face; she had facial twitches, could not sit still and kept reaching for the gear shift to put it in park even though the car was already parked, the affidavit said.
Deel asked the driver to exit so they could talk and told Varvel to sit still during the rest of the stop.
The driver told Deel he did not know he needed to reduce his speed while passing the patrol car.
While speaking with the driver, Deel reported seeing Varvel lean forward and start digging in her purse again, and seeing her take a plastic container from her purse and stick it in her bra.
In the container were two tied-off baggies with a whitish substance inside that Deel believed was meth, and another substance later identified to be heroin. When asked to hand over the container, Varvel replied, “What container?” and Deel grabbed her right arm and pointed to it, the affidavit states.
Varvel was placed under arrest. While Deel was walking back to his car to place the plastic container inside, the driver told him Varvel had put something in the trunk of his car through the back seat on the passenger side.
A search of the trunk yielded a metal box that contained a digital scale and several empty sandwich baggies; a thick rubber strap; an eyeglass case with three hypodermic needles and a spoon with residue on it; a torch lighter; a plastic baggie with meth residue; a file and pair of tweezers; a razor blade; and two flashlights.
Deel reported finding in Varvel’s purse a metal mint can containing a glass smoking pipe with marijuana in it, and a plastic baggie containing several Gabapentin pills that are available by prescription only.
The driver was released from the scene with a warning for a traffic violation.
Varvel was taken to the Brown County jail. She was charged March 12 with possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony; possession of methamphetamine, a Level 6 felony; unlawful possession of a syringe, a Level 6 felony; unlawful possession or use of a legend drug, a Level 6 felony; and possession of paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.
