Warrants issued for stealing, drug possession

A Kansas woman has been arrested on a Vernon County warrant for possession of a controlled substance. According to Vernon County Sheriff Jason Mosher, Amberly L. Merriman of Fort Scott, Kan., signed a waiver of extradition on Monday and is scheduled to be transported from Kansas to the Vernon County Jail early Tuesday.

Mosher said a warrant was issued for Merriman after undercover Sheriff's deputies and agents with the C-Net Drug Task Force conducted surveillance on a vehicle Merriman was driving.

The Sheriff said the vehicle was followed to Wal-Mart, where an undercover deputy followed the passenger, who has been identified as Joanna L. Carson of Franklin, Kan., into the store where authorities believe Carson proceeded to place items from the store into her purse. According to the press release, deputies allowed both women to leave the store and conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle as it headed out of Nevada.

During the traffic stop, Merriman was arrested for possession of what the deputies believed to be methamphetamines, and Carson was arrested for possession of stolen property.

"The items were returned to Wal-Mart late Monday," the sheriff said. Mosher also said this was another "good example that drugs and stealing go together."

Both women were initially released after 24 hours while deputies finished their investigation and applied for arrest warrants with the Prosecuting Attorney's Office in Vernon County.

A warrant has been issued for Carson, who remains at large. The Sheriff's Office is asking for anyone with information on the whereabouts of Carson to contact the Sheriff's Office at 417-283-4400.