Crime & Safety

Apple Valley Woman Charged After Allegedly Receiving Cocaine Found at Airport

Elizabeth Laine Sanchez faces three drug charges after police say they found drugs and drug paraphernalia in her Apple Valley apartment.

A woman living in Apple Valley faces three drug-related charges after police say they allegedly saw her accept a package of cocaine delivered to her home and found drugs and paraphernalia in the residence.

Elizabeth Laine Sanchez, 33, is charged with second-degree and fifth-degree controlled substance crimes, both felonies, and petty misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

The maximum penalty for the combined charges is 30 years in prison and a $510,300 fine.

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According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 18, Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport police found what they believed was a suspicious package, and upon opening it and testing the materials inside found it contained 17.6 grams of cocaine.

Dakota County Drug Task Force officers delivered the package to the apartment of the addressee, Sanchez, the complaint says.

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Officers executed a search warrant on the apartment, the complaint says, and allegedly found Sanchez and another woman inside, and the package open, though they did not find the 17.6 grams of cocaine.

According to the complaint, they also found: a scale, three spoons, a drug pipe and a plastic bag with traces of a controlled substance on them; pills in an unmarked bottle and in a bag; syringes; other drug paraphernalia.

Initial tests showed .53 grams of cocaine was on one of the spoons, the complaint says.

The second woman told police she was not involved with the package Sanchez received, the complaint says.

Sanchez was no longer being held as of Saturday, according to Dakota County Jail records.


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