Full Notification

Public Information Release
July 18, 2014
Lieutenant Steve Brooks, Public Information Officer


A vehicle stop has resulted in two arrests and the seizure of marijuana, methamphetamine and heroin.

On July 16, 2014 at approximately 11:55 pm, a patrol deputy was traveling on Highway 20 in the Clearlake Oaks area. He noticed a Ford Explorer traveling eastbound on Highway 20 with a defective rear tail light. The deputy conducted an enforcement stop of the vehicle in the area of Highway 20 and Schindler Street in Clearlake Oaks. The driver was identified as 74 year old Thomas Earl Sheppard of Chico. Also in the vehicle was 40 year old Sheri Lynn Hann of Lucerne.

The deputy requested that Central Dispatch conduct a records check of both Sheppard and Hann. Central advised that Sheppard was on formal felony probation with a search clause out of Butte County and Hann had an active arrest warrant, which was citable.

The deputy had Hann exit the vehicle and when she opened the door, the deputy could smell the odor of marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle. Hann gave consent to search her person and her property. The deputy was unable to locate any contraband and issued Hann a citation for her warrant, which was also out of Butte County.

The deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and located a hypodermic syringe and two glass smoking pipes in the center console. He also located a digital scale under the driver’s seat. In the seat pouch located on the back of the front passenger seat, the deputy located four plastic bags containing processed marijuana. He estimated that each of the bags contained approximately one ounce of marijuana.

Sitting next to Sheppard in the driver’s seat was a black fanny pack and a pack of Camel cigarettes. Inside the cigarette pack was a glass pipe which was coated with a dark residue. Inside the fanny pack was a zip lock bag containing a white crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine. There was also a pill bottle with Sheppard’s name on it, containing 10 individually wrapped plastic bindles containing a crystalline substance believed to be methamphetamine. Also inside the pack were 5 individually wrapped bindles, containing a brown substance believed to be heroin and a roll of twenty dollar bills.

Sheppard told the deputy that he sold two pounds of marijuana earlier in the day for $2,000.00. Sheppard said the money located in the fanny pack was from the sale, minus some that he used to pay bills. He also said that he got the heroin and what he believed to be crack cocaine in Oroville. Sheppard believed the methamphetamine was crack cocaine which was for his friend, as he does not use cocaine. Sheppard admitted to smoking heroin but denied selling narcotic substances.

The 11 baggies containing the white crystalline substance had an overall weight of 2.3 grams and were confirmed to be methamphetamine. The five bindles containing a brown substance had a gross weight of 5.1 grams and was confirmed to be heroin. The four plastic bags containing processed marijuana had a gross weight of 121.6 grams or 4.29 ounces. All of the aforementioned items were seized as evidence. A total of $1,520.00 was located in the fanny pack and seized pending asset forfeiture proceedings.

Sheppard was arrested for possession of a controlled substance for sale, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of a narcotic for sale, violating the terms of his probation and possession of controlled substance paraphernalia. He was transported to the Lake County Hill Road Correctional Facility and booked. Hann was arrested for the Butte County warrant and released on a citation.

The Sheriff’s Narcotics Task Force will continue its efforts to eradicate narcotics from the communities of Lake County and seize the suspected profits of drug trafficking for the asset forfeiture whenever possible. Anyone with information that can assist the Task Force with this effort is encouraged to call the anonymous tip line at 263-3663.