A traffic stop on Saturday evening led to the arrest of four people.
A deputy stopped a vehicle on North Sales Street in the City of Merrill for equipment violations. A K9 unit from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office was called to the scene and the dog indicated on the vehicle. As a result of this and a subsequent search of the vehicle and its passengers, a 17-year-old Merrill man was arrested on charges of possessing drug paraphernalia after a syringe and an empty drug package were found in his sock.
When a deputy was searching a second passenger, a 20-year-old Merrill man, a pipe used to ingest methamphetamine fell out of his coat, leading to charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia. Deputies are also awaiting a blood test on the driver, a 23-year-old Merrill woman, after she admitted to consuming methamphetamine about two hours before her vehicle was stopped. She may face citations for operating under the influence of a restricted controlled substance. She was arrested for possession of an illegally obtained prescription. A fourth passenger, a 29-year-old Merrill man, was arrested for violating terms of his probation by being in the presence of others using or possessing drugs. The 23-year-old driver and the 20-year-old passenger await bond hearings on Monday afternoon in Lincoln County Court. The 17-year-old posted a cash bond and was released.