(Stillwater, Okla.) — A Stillwater woman has been jailed on $1.5 million total bail pending a court appearance this afternoon with an attorney on her third charge of trafficking in methamphetamine in Stillwater.
Misty Dawn Hardiman, 37, a former volunteer with a cheerleading program at the Stillwater YWCA according to court records, could be given six life prison terms plus a $680,000 fine if convicted of all of her felony charges.
At the time of her arrest last week by Stillwater police, Hardiman was free on $125,000 bond on earlier methamphetamine charges in Payne County and was on probation for two drug distribution convictions in Kay County in 2009, court records show.
In her latest case, Hardiman was charged with trafficking 28 grams of methamphetamine, delivering the drug to a confidential informant and possessing drug paraphernalia including a drug ledger, all on Jan. 27 in Stillwater.
The District Attorney’s Office is seeking to have $1,030 in cash forfeited from her as allegedly connected to the drug trade, court records show.
In another drug case filed last week, Hardiman, also known by the surname Rodriguez, was charged with delivering the drug to a confidential informant on Jan. 7 in Stillwater.
In an earlier drug case, on which she had posted $100,000 bail last year, Hardiman was charged with trafficking 122.55 grams of methamphetamine in Stillwater on March 13, 2014, court records show.
In that case, Stillwater Police Officer Tom Comstock wrote in an affidavit that on March 13, 2014, a search warrant was served at her residence, which she allegedly shared with her co-defendant, Phillip Williams, 23, who has been jailed on $200,000 bail pending a March 11 trial, court records show.
In the bedroom, 3.8 grams of methamphetamine in two bags was found inside a teddy bear, the affidavit alleged.
In the bathroom, 6.17 grams of methamphetamine divided into several bags was found along with digital scales with methamphetamine residue, as well as a pill bottle with .2 grams of methamphetamine, the affidavit alleged.
In a chest-style freezer in the utility room, a tater puff bag contained 112.4 grams of methamphetamine separated into individual zip-top bags, the affidavit alleged.
A search of the cell phone belonging to Williams, who was at the residence “yielded numerous texts which showed Misty Hardiman was involved in the purchase of this methamphetamine,” the affidavit alleged.
Williams said “Hardiman funded the purchase, but they have separated Hardiman from the drug business as she is now writing bail bonds for a Stillwater business,” the affidavit alleged. In a motion for a bail reduction in two drug trafficking charges, her attorney said that she was married with three minor children. However, another court document showed that Hardiman is separated from her husband.
That motion filed last April indicated “Mrs. Hardiman has been involved as a volunteer with the cheerleading program at the Stillwater YWCA” and was working on a bachelor’s degree in business administration, court records show.
In an earlier drug case on which she had been freed on $25,000 bail, Hardiman was charged with trafficking 32.88 grams of methamphetamine, possessing the drug with intent to distribute it within 2,000 feet of Southern Woods Park, and possessing drug paraphernalia including a drug ledger, all on Dec. 12, 2013.
Her co-defendant in that case, Chavas L. Burton, 28, was sentenced last summer to three concurrent 25-year prison terms on drug charges, state Department of Corrections records show.
In that case, the pair were arrested at 3 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2013, on a traffic stop in a car driven by Burton, who had a suspended license, in which Hardiman was a passenger, Stillwater Police Officer Adam Elliott alleged in an affidavit.
Due to the smell of burnt marijuana, the vehicle was searched and Hardiman was found in possession of about 5.1 grams of methamphetamine packaged in two baggies, the affidavit alleged.
The couple were coming from their residence in the 1300 block of S. Duncan, the affidavit alleged.
In their bedroom, a bag with 22.6 grams of a crystalline substance, a drug sale ledger, a digital scale, 1.9 grams of methamphetamine, a prescription bottle for Hardiman, unused zipper-top bags, and a glass methamphetamine pipe, as well as a loaded .380 pistol under male clothing, the affidavit alleged.
“In the laundry room, I located a black safe containing a box of checks belonging to Hardiman, 13.6 grams of methamphetamine and $600,” the officer alleged in his affidavit. When Burton was interviewed in jail, he said he had been living at Hardiman’s residence since he bonded out of jail in another case, the affidavit alleged.
“The gun found was not hers, and she did not know it was in the residence,” the affidavit alleged.
“She has been selling methamphetamine with Burton to make money,” the affidavit alleged.
“The methamphetamine found during the traffic stop was handed to her by Burton who told her to put it in her purse,” the affidavit alleged.
“The methamphetamine was placed in the safe so her children wouldn’t see it,” the affidavit alleged.
“The methamphetamine was delivered to her and Burton on Dec. 10, 2013,” the affidavit alleged.
Burton allegedly told police, “He is showing Hardiman the ropes to help her become ‘big’ in dealing methamphetamine,” according to the affidavit.
Burton “called himself the coach and Hardiman was his quarterback in dealing methamphetamine,” the affidavit alleged.
Hardiman’s husband, who had not lived at the residence for some time, “did not know of there being a gun in the residence, and didn’t believe Hardiman owned one.
“The gun was found in a dresser drawer under male clothing on Burton’s side of the room,” the affidavit alleged.
The residence is located about 1,584 feet from Southern Woods Park and about 1,000 feet from Stillwater Early Head Start School, the affidavit said.
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