A LaGrange woman is now in custody of local authorities charged with a number of cocaine related offenses. Meanwhile, charges are pending against her boyfriend who tried to eat cocaine in an attempt to hide it from drug agents.
Laronda Shanta Leonard, 26, of North Beston Road, is charged with one count each of 3rd Level Trafficking Cocaine by Possession and Transport and one count each of Conspiracy to Traffick Cocaine by Possession and Transport.
Leonard was taken to the Wayne County Jail where secured bond was set at $25,000.
Members of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit, Drug Enforcement Administration, Aggressive Criminal Enforcement(ACE) Team, and the Patrol Division had surveillance operations underway in the 900 corridor of North Beston Road.
Rinardo Howell who authorities say lives at the address was stopped by the ACE Team for a traffic violation shortly after leaving the residence. Drug agents report Howell ingested an unknown amount of suspected powder cocaine before stopping the vehicle and called his girlfriend Leonard and told her to get the stuff out of the house and leave.
Members of the ACE Team stopped Leonard as she was leaving the residence and found 18 ounces of powder cocaine and two .45 caliber handguns.
Howell was transported by EMS to Wayne Memorial Hospital for difficulties from the ingestion of the suspected powder cocaine.
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