By Willian Moore
Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
BOONEVILLE, Tenn. — A Tennessee woman brought a stash of methamphetamine with her to court on Monday when she pleaded guilty to trafficking about a half-pound of heroin.
Vanessa Magdalena Gracia, 45, of Highway 45 Bypass, Jackson, Tennessee, appeared in Prentiss County Circuit Court Jan. 12 to plead guilty to the reduced charge of trafficking heroin. After Judge Michael Mills Jr . sentenced her to serve 10 years, deputies began the process of taking her into custody for transport to the county jail.
“Her purse was sitting on the bench, so my deputy started looking through it, just to make sure she was not going to introduce any contraband to the jail,” said Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar.
Law enforcement officials say the search revealed a crystal substance believed to be methamphetamine.
“After it was found, she started making excuses,” Tolar said. “She admitted it was her purse but said she just got it the day before from a friend.”
She was charged with possession of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church. The case will be presented to the next grand jury.
Gracia was indicted in July 2024 for aggravated trafficking of a controlled substance after authorities caught her in August 2022 with more than 200 grams of heroin. The same grand jury indicted her for manufacturing psilocybin and possession of methamphetamine with intent to sell.
Before Gracia pleaded Monday, Mills approved a motion by the state to dismiss the latter two charges. The court then agreed to reduce the aggravated trafficking charge to simple trafficking.
Mills sentenced Gracia to 40 years in prison but suspended 30 of those years. She will also have to serve five years of post-release supervision. She was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine, $1,065 in fees plus court costs.
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