Two women in North Carolina arrested for allegedly using Family Dollar variety store as marijuana ring

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Police in La Grange, North Carolina have arrested two women after they received a tip that the Family Dollar store was being used as part of a marijuana ring. Pending an investigation, police shut the store down.

Belinda Pearson, 46, the store manager and her associate Melissa Collie, 40, were arrested when police found 23 pounds of the drug inside the store. Earlier in the week, police said the anonymous tipster stated that a delivery of two packages of the drug was made. After a week of investigating, police arrested both women on March 14 and charged them with drug trafficking. Both were freed after making bail and were scheduled to be in court on March 15.

“The marijuana has a street value of approximately US$35,000. It was about the only thing in the store you couldn’t buy for $1,” said Chris Hill, a major from the Lenoir County Sheriff. He said the whole operation lasted a week.

Owners of the store are said to be on the way to the location where they will take over the store’s management. Family Dollar is a United States chain that sells a variety of things from food items, clothes and housewares. Most items in the store cost less than $10.00. There are almost 6,600 stores across the U.S.