STAFF REPORT

A woman was charged with bribery and possessing drug paraphernalia after Middlesboro police discovered a large sum of cash in her possession.

At about 5 p.m. Sunday, Middlesboro Officers Hunter Marcum, Bucky Harris and Morgan Justice, Lt. Kenny Vanover and Capt. Joe Holder responded to a call at Long John Silvers on Highway 25E in reference to a woman with an orange buggy and possibly with a gun in her back pocket.

Officer Marcum made contact with a woman identified with as 42-year-old Jennifer Partin with the buggy in the front of the restaurant. The officer asked if Partin had a gun on her and she said she didn’t, but said she did have a knife. Partin was then asked if she had anything illegal on her or in her bags, to which she responded no.

Consent was asked and given to search her belongings, and officers found large amounts of cash, which Partin said was around $10,000 she got from “watching an old lady in Virginia and from the stimulus check in 2020.” She went on to state that some of the cash was “dirty money” meaning drug money. Partin then told the officers that she would split the money between them if they let her go.

After Partin was placed under arrest she was asked if she had anything on her person, saying she didn’t. As Offcer Marcum was transporting her to the police station for processing, she admitted to having Suboxone. After the cruiser was parked, Partin admitted to having something else, but said she didn’t know what it was. Once she was removed from the vehicle, Marcum found a clear bag with a crystal-like substance believed to be Methamphetamine, in the seat where Partin had been sitting.

Partin was later transported to and lodged in the Bell County Detention Center charged with trafficking in a controlled substance, bribery of a public servant and buying/possessing drug paraphernalia. Total cash seized was $12,993.