Couple faces 14 felony drug charges

Published 6:01 am Wednesday, December 16, 2009

An Austin couple faces a combined 14 felony drug charges after a Friday police search at their home.

Tiffany De’An Poppa, 29, and Keith Ardis Parker, 19, were charged Monday with several counts each of third- and fifth-degree drug possession, as well as with possessing chemical substances and drug paraphernalia in the presence of a child.

They are both scheduled for arraignment Dec. 23 and are being held on $250,000 bail, or $25,000 with court conditions.

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According to a criminal complaint, the two were home when officials from Austin police, the Mower County Sheriff’s Department and the Southeast Minnesota Narcotics and Gang Task Force arrived for a 8:30 a.m. search.

In the couple’s bedroom, agents found 18 grams of marijuana, 3 grams of crack cocaine, a vial of methamphetamine and a bottle of the prescription painkiller Vicodin.

They also found numerous items used in the production of meth, including Coleman camp fuel, plastic tubing, a funnel and drain cleaner. A recipe to make meth was found under the bed.

The two were arrested. Poppa said she only used marijuana but she later tested positive for meth.

Another meth recipe was found on Parker while at the jail.

Poppa’s 7-year-old child was located at school and transferred to the custody of Mower County Human Services.