Mother, son face drug charges

A Sparta woman and her son are facing drug charges after warrants allege the two sold prescription medicines to an undercover officer, according to warrants filed by Det. Tim Bartlett of the Sparta Police Department. Deputy Todd Ramage of the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Department also assisted in the investigation.

Frances Marie Crouse, 45, of South Main Street in Sparta is charged with selling medications, for which she had a prescription, on two occasions to an undercover officer. Meanwhile, her son, 22-year-old Benjamin David Andrews is charged with selling a controlled substance to an undercover officer on one of the two occasions. Both were arrested on Dec. 14. Crouse was arrested soon after she sold Avinza, a pain medication, and Xanax, a nerve medication, to undercover officers, warrants allege. Andrews was arrested later that night.

The investigation took place over about a four month period, said Bartlett in an interview Monday. The first undercover buy, which netted only Xanax, took place on Sept. 14 around 11 p.m. The second took place exactly three months later, Bartlett said at around 6 p.m.

Following the second buy, a search warrant was executed at Crouse’s apartment soon after 7 p.m. A number of medications were found in the search, including narcotics and a pocketbook that Crouse had reported stolen. She was charged with filing a false report by Bartlett for that offense.

Crouse came under investigation after police received an anonymous tip, said Bartlett.

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