Heroin charge leads to rehab program
A Kentucky woman arrested at the Huetter rest area west of Coeur d’Alene was found guilty of trafficking heroin and will serve up to a year in a prison rehabilitation program before being eligible for probation, according to an order from a Kootenai County judge.
Rebecca A. Rose, 30, was sentenced in First District Court to between five and 10 years in prison, but Judge Cynthia Meyer retained jurisdiction allowing Rose to attend the prison program, called a rider, to determine if she is a good candidate for probation.
Trafficking heroin in Idaho mandates a fixed incarceration term usually starting at five years in prison depending on the quantity of heroin seized.
According to Idaho State Police, Rose was sleeping in her car at the Huetter rest area along Interstate 90 between Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls the morning of Dec. 23 when she was contacted by a state police trooper.
Cpl. Shane Grady noticed Rose’s silver Chevrolet Camaro coupe parked but running, with a puddle of water under its exhaust. When he approached the vehicle, according to his police report, Rose was slumped unnaturally inside and the officer saw a hypodermic needle and spoon on the car’s center console.
Rose, who wore a black shirt and blue jeans, was groggy when the trooper tried speaking with her, and the corporal noticed several open sores, some as large as 6 inches, on her arm, according to his report. He called for an ambulance, while another trooper inventoried the Camaro, allegedly seizing more than 10 grams of heroin, a small quantity of methamphetamine and 39 prescription antidepressants.
Medical staff told police the sores on Rose’s arms were the result of years of drug use, according to the report.
After a blood draw at Kootenai Health, Rose was charged by police with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Investigators learned Rose was on her way to Ritzville to sell the heroin and prescription drugs, according to the trooper’s report.
“Rose explained she had a lot of heroin,” Grady wrote in his report. “She was supposed to call the contact as she got closer to Ritzville to set up the drop.”
Police said they also seized glass pipes, multiple syringes, scales, plastic baggies, butane lighters and rubber bands used for intravenous injections,.
Any amount of heroin over 2 grams constitutes a felony trafficking charge and a mandatory minimum five-year prison sentence, according to Idaho law. Rose was also charged with DUI and possession of paraphernalia. She was given credit for the 111 days she served in the Kootenai County jail before last week’s sentencing. Once she completes the rider, she will appear before Meyer, who will determine if she will serve the remainder of her sentence on probation.