Traffic Stop Leads to Felony Drug Charges in Vermilion

A Vermilion traffic stop led to felony charges after police say a driver fled at high speed before officers found two suspected narcotics bindles inside her vehicle, according to a Vermilion Police Department report.

Det. Nicholas Kowal reported clocking a westbound vehicle at 77 mph in the 50-mph zone on Liberty Avenue on January 10. When he attempted a traffic stop, police say the driver, 48-year-old Rebecca Biegger of LaGrange, continued driving and made lane changes around cars that had pulled over for lights and sirens. She eventually turned behind Hot Waters Fish Cleaning on Liberty Avenue, where officers detained her.

Officers stated that the vehicle failed to stop and continued for a short distance, resulting in a brief pursuit. According to the report, Biegger later reported she fled because she thought she was having a low blood sugar episode, a claim EMS did not support after evaluating her.

Suspected narcotics recovered from the vehicle

During an inventory search, officers found two folded Post-It bindles behind the driver’s seat, one containing a white crystalline substance and the other a brown powder.

According to the police report, officers conducted standard field tests with the following results:

The white substance produced a field-test reaction consistent with cocaine.
The brown substance tested negative for heroin.
A multi-drug field test indicated a reaction consistent with cocaine, even though the brown substance did not resemble cocaine.

Because the appearance of the brown powder did not match the field-test result, officers noted it may contain a mixture of drugs or a different narcotic. The substance will be sent to a laboratory for confirmation.

Charges

Biegger was charged with:

Failure to Comply and Fleeing, a fourth-degree felony
Possession of Cocaine, a fifth-degree felony
Driving Under Suspension, FRA suspension
Speeding, 77 in a 50-mph zone
Failure to Signal

She was transported to Mercy Health for evaluation and later taken to the Lorain County Jail. She is being held without bond ahead of her January 13 court appearance.