Minnesota Woman Facing Drug Trafficking Charge in Charles City

A Minnesota woman is facing a drug trafficking charge following a late-night traffic stop in Charles City last week.

The Charles City Police Department (CCPD) says a traffic stop, near the intersection of Gilbert Street and Glenwood Road, shortly before 1 am Thursday (10.09) morning, led to the arrest of 57-year-old Denise Tipton of Waseca, Minnesota. She has been charged with a controlled substance violation – methamphetamine – with intent to deliver, a Class B felony, plus possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.

According to the criminal complaint, CCPD pulled over Tipton’s Chevy Impala for a tail light that was not working. Floyd County Sheriff’s Office K9, Sirius, was deployed on the vehicle and gave a positive alert, indicating the possible presence of narcotics in the car.

A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered a clear plastic baggie with a white, crystal-like substance, plus several smaller baggies and a scale. The substance weighed almost 10 grams and field-tested positive for meth.

Tipton is being held in the Floyd County Jail on $25,000 cash-only bond. However, defense counsel’s motion for a bond-reduction hearing has been approved and is scheduled for Wednesday (10.15) in Floyd County District Court.

Tipton is currently scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Friday (10.17).