Felon heads to prison after being found asleep in car with drugs

Published 10:56 am Friday, August 26, 2016

Rose

Rose

A woman who told police she and a man were “camping” after being found asleep in a vehicle is headed to prison after being busted for heroin.

Shanna Jean Lillian Rose, 34, was sentenced Thursday in Mower County court to more than three years in prison for third-degree drug crime.

A misdemeanor charge for giving police a false name and petty misdemeanor for possessing drug paraphernalia were both dismissed.

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According to court records, a couple in Udolpho Township called police at 5:36 a.m. on July 6 to report a suspicious 1999 Oldsmobile Cutlass parked in an end drive near their property with two people sleeping inside.

Officers found Rose and Lucas James Ernst, 28, of Rochester in the car.

The officer tried to wake Ernst, who was in the driver’s seat, but he only opened his eyes, looked at the officer and closed his eyes again. The cop woke Rose, who said she lost her license and gave a false name before telling police the two were “camping.”

Ernst

Ernst

Officers learned Ernst’s driving status was revoked and he had a history of missing court appearances.

Rose, who had bloodshot eyes, admitted to smoking marijuana earlier, and Ernst said the car belonged to a friend.

Officers then found a small bag of marijuana, a methamphetamine pipe and 20.5 grams of meth in five bags, along a small amount of meth, a digital scale and unused plastic bass in a backpack.

Rose has been convicted of two previous drug felonies.

Ernst initially pleaded not guilty to felony second-degree drug possession, a misdemeanor for driving after revocation and a petty misdemeanor for possessing drug paraphernalia. However, the second-degree drug charge was dismissed Aug. 3. He’s next due in court for a pretrial on Oct. 27 before a Nov. 7 trial.