A call to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to check on two people passed out in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Abingdon resulted in charges for two Smyth County residents.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a deputy was called to the Wal-Mart parking lot on March 14 at 6 p.m. Once on the scene, the deputy witnessed a drug transaction and detained Thomas Owens and Megan Holmes.
The Sheriff’s Office said that while the deputy was frisking Owens, he felt what appeared to be a pistol in Owens’ pocket. Subsequently, a loaded 9 mm pistol was recovered. Further searching discovered a baggy containing around 8 grams of methamphetamines.
A K-9 officer from the Washington County Sheriff’s Office alerted to the odor of narcotics. A search later recovered packaging material, syringes, paraphernalia and money in denominations consistent with drug transactions, the sheriff’s office. The vehicle belonged to Holmes.
Owens, who has several prior offenses related to distribution and manufacturing narcotics, was wanted on an active capias out of Smyth County. The 44-year-old Chilhowie man was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute Schedule I or II narcotics and possession of a firearm while in possession of Schedule I or II narcotics.
Homes, 26 and from Marion, was charged with possession with intent to distribute Schedule I or II narcotics.
