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Duo facing felony drug counts

FAIRMONT — A Blue Earth man and a Fairmont woman are facing felony charges in Martin County.

James Edward McBride, 52, of Blue Earth and Rebecca Lee Devoe, 38, of Fairmont both have been charged with drug possession in the third degree, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the complaint:

On Oct. 23, a Fairmont police officer was on routine patrol at 1 a.m. when he observed a red van parked near the Martin County Library. The officer had observed the van driving around the city earlier in the evening, and also had observed the van at a known drug house in the weeks prior. The officer maintained surveillance on the van and saw it exit the parking space without signaling. The officer caught up to the van and observed it fail to signal 100 feet prior to its turn. The officer initiated a traffic stop.

The officer approached the vehicle and made contact with the driver, later identified as McBride, and the passenger, later identified as Devoe. He observed that Devoe seemed nervous.

The officer asked McBride for proof of insurance and his driver’s license. McBride had his insurance number written down on a piece of cardboard and told the officer he did not have a license. The officer asked McBride to step from the vehicle and he would get his information in his squad car.

McBride walked back to the squad car and handed the officer his Minnesota identification card. The officer patted him down for weapons and asked him to take a seat in the vehicle. He then asked McBride about his passenger, and McBride stated she was Devoe.

The officer discovered there was an active warrant for McBride out of Faribault County for a driving violation. McBride said he knew he had an outstanding warrant.

McBride admitted to using meth and said he had last used two days prior. When asked if there where any pipes or meth in the vehicle, McBride said he probably had his weed pipe in the van but denied there was anything else in the vehicle.

The officer returned to the vehicle and asked Devoe to step out. While at the vehicle, the officer observed three other individuals in the back of the van that he had not previously observed. The individuals were identified and asked to sit on the curb.

The officer was advised by dispatch that McBride, who had been taken to the jail on the warrant, reported there was a bag of marijuana in a dresser drawer in the van.

Police discovered two marijuana pipes, a meth pipe and multiple syringes in the drawer. They also discover a Ziplock bag containing a substance that later tested positive for meth.

Another Fairmont officer contacted the officer at the scene to advise that McBride indicated the meth in the van was believed to be Devoe’s, stating she had changed her clothes in the back of the van. The officer read Devoe her rights and she agreed to answer questions. She admitted to changing her clothes, but denied the meth was hers. Both Devoe’s arms showed bruising, injection marks and severe track marks, all evidence of heavy drug use. Devoe denied she injected meth.

The Martin County Library and the location of the traffic stop are both in park zones.

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