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For 5 People, Drug Arrests Bring Child Neglect Charges

From left: Shawnte Beckham, Tanisha Carleston, Marisabel Corbett, Michael Corbett and Marie Lafond. Photos from HCSO.

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 3, 2008

Updated: 01/03/2008 11:31 am

TAMPA Authorities have charged five people with felony child neglect, saying they used or sold drugs in the presence of children, arrest affidavits show.

Tampa police on Wednesday arrested Tanisha Carleston, 28, and Shawnte Beckham, 29, both of Tampa, during a traffic stop in which they found an 8-year-old child and marijuana in their car, affidavits state. The women were being held without bail at Orient Road Jail this morning.

Also on Wednesday, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies arrested Michael Corbett, 38, his wife, Marisabel, 26, and another woman, Marie Lafond, 20, saying they were growing marijuana and selling cocaine with children present, arrest affidavits state.

Michael Corbett was being held at Orient Road Jail this morning, with bail set at $15,500. His wife and Lafond also were being held, and bail for each was set at $8,000 bail, jail records show.

All five people also are charged with felony drug charges.

About 6:40 p.m. Wednesday, a Tampa police officer on foot tapped on the driver's side window of a 1997 Buick at North Tampa and East Tyler streets after smelling a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, affidavits state.

When Beckham rolled down the window, a "smoke cloud" drifted out of the car, the affidavits state. There was an 8-year-old girl in the rear seat, police said.

The officer found a small plastic bag of marijuana and a plastic pill bottle containing oxycodone inside the car, as well as a brown paper bag with six small plastic bags of marijuana inside Beckham's purse, police said.

About 7 p.m. Wednesday, deputies conducted a search warrant at a house at 7328 Exeter Way, where the Corbetts and Lafond live, the affidavits state. They found cocaine packaged for sale, marijuana being grown in a bedroom and marijuana pipes in the kitchen and bedroom, the affidavits state.

Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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