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Couple Accused Of Bringing Children To Drug Buy

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Sarasota Herald-Tribune

Published: December 13, 2008

Alfred Smith

Sherinia Oakes

A Port Charlotte man and a Punta Gorda woman were charged with child endangerment for allegedly bringing two children to a drug buy set up by detectives, Punta Gorda police said.

Alfred Ray Smith Jr., 35, of the 18000 block of Lakeworth Boulevard in Port Charlotte, and Sherinia Lynn Oakes, 28, of the 30000 block of Oak Road in Punta Gorda, were each charged with felony child neglect/endangerment, felony marijuana possession, felony possession with intent to distribute and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia.

Oakes was also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, roxycodone. Smith was being held without bail on the felony charges at Charlotte County jail. Oakes was being held on $13,500 bond.

Police were investigating a theft complaint at a Punta Gorda man's residence Thursday and arrested the man and his father after marijuana was found in plain view. The man then gave up his alleged supplier, police said.

Joseph Kenneth Pearson, 23, of the 1200 block of Slash Pine Circle in Punta Gorda, made the theft complaint. His father, Richard Kenneth Pearson, 54, of the 18000 block of Le Grande in Port Charlotte, was also present. When police arrived, they found a partially burned marijuana cigarette in view, a news release said. The Pearsons consented to a search and police found three more marijuana cigarettes and three pills of Buspirone, an antidepressant for which Richard Pearson did not have a prescription, the release said.

Police asked Joseph Pearson about his drug source and he mentioned Smith, police spokesman Troy Bettencourt said. Police then set up a sting operation, arranging for Smith to deliver a half-pound of marijuana for $900.

Smith showed up with Oakes and Smith's two children, a 10-year-old and an 8-year-old. Police noticed a bulky item in the front of Oakes' shorts that turned out to be 9 ounces of marijuana, the release said. Police arrested Oakes and Smith, whose children were returned to the custody of their mother.

Joseph Pearson was charged with marijuana possession and released Friday on $1,000 bail. Richard Pearson was charged with felony possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and is being held on bond.

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