Carver to serve three years of a suspended sentence behind bars for drug possession

Lincoln County District Court Judge Matthew Cuffe handed down a partially suspended five-year sentence to a woman arrested in a stolen car behind an Avenue B home in December.

Alicia Dawn Carver, 28, of no fixed address, will serve three years of the sentence after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors. In exchange for her pleading guilty to a felony charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs, authorities dropped charges of theft and criminal possession of drug paraphernalia.

In an affidavit, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies recounted coming across Carver in a stolen Toyota Corolla about 4:45 a.m., Dec. 23. As law enforcement personnel approached the vehicle, Detective Brandon Holzer noticed a syringe on the floor beneath the driver’s seat.

During a subsequent search of the vehicle, authorities found a syringe loaded with a substance that tested presumptively positive for heroin. After interviewing witnesses, investigators determined Carver likely was using drugs inside the vehicle, which was stolen in Flathead County, court documents said.

Authorities also believed Carver orchestrated the theft of the Toyota Corolla. They placed the value of the vehicle at more than $1,500.

Carver initially was held on a $25,000 bond inside the Lincoln County Detention Center. She pleaded not guilty to all charges in January.

As part of her agreement with prosecutors, Carver also must undergo substance abuse treatment.