BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — A public intoxication arrest Friday afternoon in Inez led to first-degree drug charges after police found pills, a large amount of cash and an alleged drug transaction ledger on a suspect.

Martin County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Kidd was dispatched to Blue Light Bargains on Blacklog Road to investigate a complaint of an intoxicated female inside the store.

The deputy said that when he arrived, the suspect Pam Mathieu, 52, of Louisa, had slurred speech, appeared confused, and admitted to taking oxycodone and Xanax earlier in the day.

Kidd initially charged Mathieu with public intoxication of a controlled substance and took her into custody.

During a post-arrest search of Mathieu’s purse, the deputy discovered $9,400 wrapped in rubber bands, several loose pills in various colors, and a pill bottle with a fill date of Oct. 24 containing 10 tablets that Mathieu allegedly identified as oxycodone 10 mg.

The deputy seized what he believed to be a ledger containing information about drug transactions with several individuals.

Mathieu is also charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.