Eureka woman facing more than 25 years in prison

A 57-year-old Eureka woman was charged last week with felony counts of criminal possession of dangerous drugs and criminal possession of dangerous drugs with intent to distribute, along with a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Helen Michelle Bayse was arrested March 3, 2016, by Officer Clint Heintz of the Eureka Police Department, following the execution of a search warrant by Heintz, Eureka Police Chief Jeffcock and three deputies from the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office on a property located on Avenue E in Eureka.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Heintz after the arrest, officers recovered marijuana and methamphetamine from Bayse’s residence, garage and vehicle, along with glass and wood pipes, unused baggies, a scale and snort tubes.

“56-18 found a duffle bag with letters addressed to Helen Bayse in the side pouch,” Heintz wrote. “Inside this bag 15 baggies of methamphetamine were found ranging in size from .2 grams to 31.5 grams. One bag with a large crystal of methamphetamine was found rolled up in a pair of female pants, this crystal later tested presumptively as methamphetamine. Also found in this duffle bag were two small bags with four white pills in each, an electronic scale, 85 unused baggies, one lidocaine patch, five FLECTOR patches, one glass pipe with white residue and a snort tube... During the search a total of 49.5 grams of methamphetamine was found in 19 different size baggies, 5.7 grams of marjiuana was found in two containers, four glass pipes used to smoke methamphetamine, one wooden pipe used to smoke marijuana, 85 unused plastic baggies, four used plastic baggies, a scale and four snort tubes.”

Heintz concluded Bayse was engaged in the distribution of illegal drugs based upon the volume of illegal drugs confiscated, along with the packaged drugs, scale and unused baggies.

If convicted, Bayse faces up to 20 years in prison for the distribution charge, up to five years for the felony possession of dangerous drugs charge and up to six months for the misdemeanor paraphernalia offense. She was ordered held on $75,000 bond by Justice of the Peace Jay Sheffield and was still in custody at the Lincoln County Detention Center as of Thursday morning.

She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday, April 5, 2016.