Four Lehigh residents arrested; $120,000 in drugs seized

By Staff | Oct 13, 2011

Amanda Mirra

Detectives with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Highway Interdiction Unit, assisted by members of the Narcotics Unit and Technical Investigations Unit, conducted two drug related search warrants on Tuesday, Oct. 11 at around 2 p.m. at the addresses of 1810 Malone Street, Lehigh Acres, and 4114 19th Street SW, Lehigh Acres which resulted in the arrests of four Lehigh residents.

The recovered drugs in this case have an estimated street value of over $120,000 and were destined for distribution in the Lee County area, said Sgt. Stephanie Eller, with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

The following suspects have been charged as follows:

* Amanda Mirra, 21, of 1810 Malone Street, Lehigh Acres, charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver (two counts), keeping a vehicle for drugs, possession of Methamphetamine with intent to deliver, reckless driving first offense, possession of marijuana under 20 grams, failure to obey a law enforcement officer’s order to stop, tampering with physical evidence, and aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.

* Valeen M. Lowell, 29, of 4114 SW 19th Street, Lehigh Acres, charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription (six counts), and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Valeen M. Lowell

* Stephanie Vivian Garcia, 21, 4114 SW 19th Street, Lehigh Acres, charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

* Luis Alberto Ruiz-Mejia, 31, 4114 SW 19th Street, Lehigh Acres, charged with possession of a fraudulent identification card (two counts).

The search warrants were conducted a result of an investigation regarding suspects involved in narcotics distribution, Eller said.

She also said that as a result of the search warrants, 1.8 pounds of cocaine, 15 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, prescription narcotics including Oxycodone and Morphine, a sawed off shotgun, a stolen .357 caliber revolver, and numerous items used for distributing narcotics including scales, vacuum sealing bags, and packaging equipment were recovered and seized.

During the execution of the warrant at 1810 Malone Street, detectives were nearly run over by a woman who disregarded their commands to stop and attempted to strike them with her vehicle, Eller said.