A Texas woman made a video appearance in Knox County Circuit Court Monday on a Class X and Class 1 felony counts of manufacturing/delivery of cocaine between 400 and 900 grams.
43-year-old Anna M. Burton appeared before Judge Raymond A. Cavanaugh who set bail at $300,000 and appointed a public defender to represent her case.
She is also being charged with a Class 4 of Criminal Damage to Property and for resisting arrest.
Officers were dispatched to Baked at 57 South Seminary Street for a report that a female subject in black with a purple suitcase broke a window.
They found the woman, and identified her as Burton. She told police she was having a bad day, stating she missed her bus.
Officers were advised that the damage to the window was significant enough to warrant criminal charges, and when they went to arrest Burton, she allegedly took off a Gold’s Gym belly belt and advised them that she was carrying $500,000 in heroin. Reports note that plastic wrapped packages were found in the belt.
Reports indicate she was hysterical and resisted police as they tried to put her in the patrol car. She was transported to the Knox County Jail for processing. GHAS responded to the jail where she laid on the floor and was uncooperative.
Officers fielded tested the packages found on the belt – positively identifying as cocaine.
Burton was transported to Cottage Hospital where she was not cooperative with medical personnel and refused instructions from police officers.
According to reports, she made threats of violence against officers while being transported back to the jail.
In total officers found 600 grams of cocaine in four plastic wrapped packages. No heroin was reported to have been found.
Assistant State’s Attorney Sabrina Stroops indicated at the detention hearing that Burton had prior felony convictions in Texas of assault of a public servants, and prostitution.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on August 6th.
