Woman charged with furnishing liquor, possessing drugs

Photo:

Debra L. Wing 

NORWAY —  A Norway woman was arrested and charged with furnishing alcohol to minors on November 3 at her apartment at 168 Main Street, Police Chief Robert Federico reported. 

Just a few days later, on November 6, she was also arrested by Norway Police for possession of W,X,Y drugs, including a tablet of trazodone hydrochloride and a tablet of bupropion hydrochloride, said Norway Investigator Jeffrey Campbell. 

Alcohol

Debra L. Wing, 52, has been charged with furnishing alcohol to minors on seven previous occasions, said Federico. She has a lengthy criminal record, he said, ranging from violation of bail, theft, drug charges and engaging in prostitution. 

"I can't even begin to count," he said. 

According to Federico, Norway Officer Stephen Cronce was following up on a prior complaint he'd received when he arrived at 168 Main Street and witnessed underage drinking.

"He knocked on the door and it was opened by a juvenile," Federico explained. 

"He could tell immediately that the juvenile was intoxicated."

Along with the 17-year-old woman, there were four other juveniles present, two 18 year-olds, a 17 year-old and a 20 year-old, said Federico. There was also a 22-year-old, he said, but there was no evidence or admission that they supplied the alcohol. 

Federico said when Cronce peered into the apartment "he saw a young man holding a bottle of vodka in one hand and orange soda in the other."

"When the young man saw the officer he quickly pulled a blanket over the vodka bottle,"  Federico explained.

When Cronce entered the apartment, said Federico, he saw even more evidence of an underage drinking party.

"There were alcohol bottles scattered all around the room," he said. When asked where Wing was, the 17-year-old woman who answered the door said she "didn't know," Federico said. 

According to Federico another officer looked into a bedroom and found Wing, who claimed she was unaware of the underage drinking party. 

"Nobody would admit to where they got the alcohol," said Federico, which consisted of a bottle of Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum, Orloff Vodka and 101 Proof Ice Peppermint Schnapps. 

However, the juveniles did admit to drinking the alcohol, he said. 

Drugs

Campbell said he was doing a bail compliance check on November 6 to make sure Wing was abiding by her conditions of release when he discovered marijuana paraphernalia. 

"She said it belonged to her daughter, which is not a violation of her bail, but it is an additional offense," Campbell explained. 

He said the prescription drugs were found between the cushions of Wing's couch in her apartment at 168 Main Street.

"They were just loose pills," he said. "That was the violation – they were prescription medications that she didn't have a prescription for." 

"She said she has a lot of people in and out of there, and they could have belonged to any of those people, but it was in her couch where she was sitting." 

Campbell called 168 Main Street "the flophouse for people to do drugs and drink." 

Furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing consumption of alcohol by minors is a Class D misdemeanor. 

According to Federico, Wing was last charged with furnishing alcohol to minors in 2011.