They just don’t make day care for drug dealers these days.
After being caught selling heroin to a confidential informant three times in a two-week period in June, a pair of Salem residents were arrested on drug dealing charges – and also reckless endangerment, because the couple’s two children were at two of the sales and offered as collateral during the third.
Blair LaRose, 32, and Ashley Fay, 26, were both charged with three counts of delivery of heroin as well as four counts of second-degree reckless endangerment – all felony counts – according to a press release from the Racine County Sheriff’s Office last week.
Both were also charged with misdemeanor drug paraphernalia possession. Members of the Racine County Metro Drug Unit, in cooperation with the Kenosha Drug Task Force, executed a search warrant on the home, and also searched the couple’s van where the alleged sales were made.
The two children are ages 1 and 3, and were taken into protective custody by Kenosha Human Services.
According to the criminal complaint, an informant bought .6 grams of heroin from the couple on June 9, 1.2 grams of heroin from the couple on June 11 and an unspecified amount from the couple on June 17. All three purchases were set up for Burlington’s south side Kwik Trip, located at 1164 South Pine Street.
The children were allegedly present in the blue mini-van LaRose and Fay were in during the first and third buys. When the third buy was set up, the informant was allegedly told that the couple didn’t have enough heroin to fill the $200 order, but could fill $50 worth of the order and then run to their source in Kenosha for the rest.
While the informant was on the phone, LaRose allegedly offered to leave one of the children with the information if it would make the buyer “feel better.”
Agents from the Metro Drug Unit stopped the van shortly after the third buy on June 17, and found drug paraphernalia in the car that included a scale, packaging material, a grinder and the money used to buy the heroin.
When the two subjects were later interviewed, they both allegedly stated they each used a $20 bag of heroin each day, and sell heroin to support their habit. Both allegedly started that they sell three to four grams per day and pay $100 to $120 per gram when they purchase it.
The couple allegedly added that they have seven regular customers, and LaRose said they kept the number that low to avoid getting caught.
Both LaRose and Fay allegedly added that they try not to sell or pick up heroin with their children in the car, but stated, “it’s not like we can leave them at home.” According to the Metro Task Force investigator conducting the interview, the two were likely under the influence of heroin both while driving and while taking care of their children.
In the Racine County Sheriff’s press release, it stated the couple’s home in Salem was searched, and found to be in “deplorable” condition.