A Northshore judge has sentenced a woman caught with thousands of multi-colored Ecstasy pills in Fruity Pebbles boxes.
"Judge Vincent Lobello sentenced 32-year-old Precious Hicks of South Hill, Virginia to thirty-five (35) years in prison after a jury found her guilty on drug trafficking charges," Assistant District Attorney Bruce Dearing said in a news release.
The case started with a traffic stop on the interstate in St. Tammany Parish.
"Detective (James) Kelley observed a vehicle on I-12 tailgating another vehicle, prompting the detective to conduct a traffic stop," Dearing explained. "On the back seat of the vehicle detectives observed four boxes of Fruity Pebbles cereal."
He says they also saw some spilled cereal and super glue.
"These items drew the attention of the detectives and they found the boxes of cereal were heavier than normal and showed signs of tampering. When the boxes were opened, they were found to contain thousands of suspected MDMA pills in a variety of colors, shapes and imprints."
Dearing says Hicks and her boyfriend admitted they had purchased the pills while in Texas and they intended on selling them.
"The boxes of cereal were determined to contain 7,886... pills."
Cops also found marijuana and amphetamine pills in Hick’s purse.
At the trial Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Dover told the jury, “We know the defendant had knowledge of the pills inside of the vehicle because she told police she did. She even told police how much she paid for the pills - thousands of pills designed to look like candy.”
Dearing says the sentence was enhanced because Hicks is a repeat offender with a history of firearm, assault, larceny, fraud, forgery, drug and prostitution convictions.
