Pair Faces Drug Charges

A Roland woman and a man from Arkansas face felony charges after police served a narcotics search warrant at a Roland home on Oct. 15.

Records show that Brandi Lynn Watts, 36, of Roland and Joseph Earl Dye, 47, of Hackett, Ark., were each charged with maintaining a place for keeping or selling a controlled substance, a felony.

Watts was also charged with an additional felony count of harboring a fugitive from justice in the case.

On Oct. 15, Roland police officers went to serve the warrant at 102 N. Roland Road. The officers discovered Watts and two other women inside the home. 

The women denied that anyone else was in the home, but a subsequent search revealed Dye, who was hiding in a room off the kitchen. He was taken into custody when a records check showed that Dye had a felony warrant from Sequoyah County.

Officers searching the home found syringes, the medication Suboxone and drug residue believed to be heroin and methamphetamine. One of the women was also found hiding a syringe in her pocket during a search at the jail.

Dye reportedly told officers about a black box in the home that was found to contain a bent spoon with a piece of cotton, along with a red straw and cotton swabs. Officers also discovered two loaded syringes with a clear liquid inside and an opened pack of Suboxone. In a trash can inside the home, officers also found a light bulb that had allegedly been used as a smoking device, among other items.

Watts and one of the women was charged with harboring a fugitive because they lied to an officer about whether anyone else was in the home. 

Watts’ and Dye’s felony charges are punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for up to five years.

Dye and Watts entered not guilty pleas Oct. 23. Their next court appearance is at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6.

Records indicate that Watts had another run-in with Roland police Oct. 9 when she was charged with bringing contraband into a jail facility, a felony, and driving while under the influence and unsafe lane use, both misdemeanors. She was released Oct. 16 on $14,500 bond.

The contraband charge is punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary for 1-5 years, a fine of up to $1,000 or both. The DUI charge carries a punishment of a fine of up to $1,000 and imprisonment for up to one year, while the traffic violation is punishable by a fine of up to $100 or imprisonment for up to 10 days.

Laura Brown, KXMX Staff Writer

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