RaVen Blackehart
May 15th, 2009, 11:27 PM
WILSON — A Wilson High School freshman who allegedly passed out her deceased mother’s painkillers at school last month now faces a felony drug charge, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office reported Thursday.
Sheriff’s officials charged Brandie Lowman, 16, of Ransomville with fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance— a class C felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison — for her alleged distribution of the narcotic on school property April 22.
Lowman was suspended by the district for the rest of the school year.
On her MySpace page, she describes being in home schooling and counseling. She also apparently left for Myrtle Beach, S. C., early Tuesday, the day after her arraignment in Wilson Town Court.
“It’s a very sad case,” said Sheriff James R. Voutour. “She doesn’t have her dad anymore, and she lost her mom to cancer.”
But, according to Voutour, the seriousness of the allegations provided the impetus for authorities filing criminal charges against the teen. He said they could have charged her with an even higher felony.
“We’re not out to make an example of her,” Voutour said. “We have to set the precedent that if you hand out drugs or give out drugs in schools, it will not be tolerated. We send our kids to schools, and we expect our kids to be safe there.
“These were very dangerous pills that were handed out.”
The felony complaint alleges that Lowman brought 52 morphine pills to school and handed some of them out to her classmates on school grounds.
A deputy working as a resource officer in the high school reported that day that he had recovered a potentially addictive narcotic painkiller.
School Superintendent Michael S. Wendt said only one student went to the school’s health clinic on the day of the incident complaining of health problems from ingesting the pills.
Lab testing later confirmed the pills were a controlled substance, sheriff’s officials said.
Lowman was arrested Monday at her Old Ransomville Road home by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force. She was arraigned by Wilson Town Justice Robert Botzer and released to the custody of her stepfather. Lowman is scheduled to return to court at 7 p. m. May 28.
Lowman is accused of bringing her deceased mother’s prescription pills to school because other students wanted to try them.
Voutour said Thursday it appears as though classmates were pressuring her to bring them to school. And she did, said police.
Although she didn’t get any money for them, according to the sheriff, by law, any type of distribution of pills can be considered a sale. Voutour noted because the distribution happened on school property, it automatically becomes a more serious felony charge.
No other charges were expected to be filed against any of the other students, Voutour said.
The incident has generated a lot of chatter on Lowman’s MySpace message board. Early in the morning after the incident, one of Lowman’s friends pointed out he had tried to caution her to no avail. Others have sent messages of support in recent weeks.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/672355.html
Sheriff’s officials charged Brandie Lowman, 16, of Ransomville with fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance— a class C felony that can carry up to 15 years in prison — for her alleged distribution of the narcotic on school property April 22.
Lowman was suspended by the district for the rest of the school year.
On her MySpace page, she describes being in home schooling and counseling. She also apparently left for Myrtle Beach, S. C., early Tuesday, the day after her arraignment in Wilson Town Court.
“It’s a very sad case,” said Sheriff James R. Voutour. “She doesn’t have her dad anymore, and she lost her mom to cancer.”
But, according to Voutour, the seriousness of the allegations provided the impetus for authorities filing criminal charges against the teen. He said they could have charged her with an even higher felony.
“We’re not out to make an example of her,” Voutour said. “We have to set the precedent that if you hand out drugs or give out drugs in schools, it will not be tolerated. We send our kids to schools, and we expect our kids to be safe there.
“These were very dangerous pills that were handed out.”
The felony complaint alleges that Lowman brought 52 morphine pills to school and handed some of them out to her classmates on school grounds.
A deputy working as a resource officer in the high school reported that day that he had recovered a potentially addictive narcotic painkiller.
School Superintendent Michael S. Wendt said only one student went to the school’s health clinic on the day of the incident complaining of health problems from ingesting the pills.
Lab testing later confirmed the pills were a controlled substance, sheriff’s officials said.
Lowman was arrested Monday at her Old Ransomville Road home by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office Drug Task Force. She was arraigned by Wilson Town Justice Robert Botzer and released to the custody of her stepfather. Lowman is scheduled to return to court at 7 p. m. May 28.
Lowman is accused of bringing her deceased mother’s prescription pills to school because other students wanted to try them.
Voutour said Thursday it appears as though classmates were pressuring her to bring them to school. And she did, said police.
Although she didn’t get any money for them, according to the sheriff, by law, any type of distribution of pills can be considered a sale. Voutour noted because the distribution happened on school property, it automatically becomes a more serious felony charge.
No other charges were expected to be filed against any of the other students, Voutour said.
The incident has generated a lot of chatter on Lowman’s MySpace message board. Early in the morning after the incident, one of Lowman’s friends pointed out he had tried to caution her to no avail. Others have sent messages of support in recent weeks.
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/672355.html