Drug dissolved in man during traffic stop

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A Dayton man who said a drug dissolved inside of him during a traffic stop earlier this year filed a motion to suppress evidence, but failed to appear Aug. 15 for the case hearing.

Bond was revoked and a bench warrant was issued for the arrest of Vercie L. Lark, 35, after he failed to appear in the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas.

Lark’s attorney, Anthony Vannoy, was present for the hearing. Also present at the hearing were Sgt. Coverstone and Trooper Barhorst of the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

During a traffic stop on US 35, Lark was placed in the back of a patrol car.

Barhorst, who was speaking to other passengers in the stopped car, returned and testified that he witnessed Lark sitting in the back of the patrol car with a baggie hanging out of his waist band. He said Lark had human feces on his hands. The bag hanging out of Lark’s waist band was empty but field tested positive for heroin, according to Barhorst.

“He was dizzy, extremely sweaty,” said Barhorst during the hearing.

Lark admitted to the officer that he had tried to conceal contraband and that Suboxone strips may have dissolved inside him, according to testimony. Barhorst said he thought Lark was overdosing and took him to the emergency room.

Barhorst then reviewed the video that was taken from inside the patrol car.

At some point Barhorst said Lark can be seen on video pulling out a bag in the back of the patrol car.

“I saw him, while handcuffed, adjust and remove the contraband bag, from his rectum, and was able to put it in his hands and move his hands far enough around that he was able to put it in his mouth, chewed it up, and spit it out on the floor of the patrol car,” said Barhorst.

Sgt. Coverstone said there was a rash of overdoses in Chillicothe and the Ohio State Highway Patrol came to work on US 35 between Dayton and Chillicothe.

The car Lark was traveling in had been stopped for a registration violation.

Lark was indicted in February on charges of tampering with evidence, possession of cocaine, and illegal possession of drug paraphernalia.

At the conclusion of the hearing Steven Beathard, Fayette County Common Pleas Court Judge, said that the search was reasonable and the baggie was in plain view, overruling Lark’s motion to suppress evidence.

Lark was arrested Aug. 18 and taken to the Fayette County Jail where he is currently held pending a trial date.

 

Vercie L. Lark
http://www.recordherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2016/08/web1_Vercie-Lark.jpgVercie L. Lark

By Ashley Bunton

[email protected]

Reach Ashley at the Record Herald (740) 313-0355 or on Twitter @ashbunton

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