Minnesota woman charged with felony drug possession

Deputies stopped speeding car on I-90; K-9 sniff led to discovery of Ecstacy, marijuana

KANE COUNTY – A Minnesota woman was charged with felony possession of Ecstacy, a controlled substance, according to Kane County Sheriff’s reports.

Latasha R. Baker, 36, of the 900 block of Wakefield Avenue, St. Paul, Minn. was also charged Jan. 5 with unlawful possession of marijuana by a passenger in a car, sheriff reports and court records show.

The deputy was on patrol in the area of mile marker 47 on I-90 east of Route 47 about 11 p.m. on Jan. 5 when he reported seeing a black 2020 Chevrolet Malibu with North Carolina plates traveling at a high rate of speed, the report stated.

Though the deputy could not get the speed of the vehicle, he observed it following a semi truck too closely, about one second behind the truck, measured by using stationary objects on the side of the interstate, the report stated.

The deputy issued a warning to the driver for following too closely and driving with a suspended license, the report stated.

A second deputy arrived at the traffic stop and deployed canine Prada to do a free air sniff of the vehicle, the report stated.

Prada indicated to the odor of narcotics or marijuana coming from the Malibu, the report stated.

Baker ultimately provided the deputy with a plastic baggie from her bra, which contained marijuana, the report stated.

The second deputy searched a small purse of Baker’s and located three different colored pills in another plastic bag, which field tested positive for Ecstacy, the report stated.

Baker told the deputy she bought them in Chicago for a friend, the report stated.

The second deputy also located another clear plastic bag containing marijuana in the purse, the report stated.

A fifth suspected Ecstacy pill was found in a small bag in the car’s center console; Baker denied ownership of it, the report stated.

Ecstacy – which is also known as Molly and MDMA – is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse website, www.drugabuse.gov.

The controlled substance charge is a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in prison and fines up to $25,000, if convicted.

Baker was released and is to appear in court Feb. 19.