THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1996 TAG: 9606260388
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B2 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: MANTEO LENGTH: 31 lines
A Maryland couple whom officers contend were trying to hit the jackpot with stolen lottery tickets have been arrested in Dare County.
A routine traffic stop led to the arrest Sunday of 26-year-old Paula E. Renehan and 31-year-old Steven C. Lafferman of Keymar, Md. The two are wanted in Maryland in connection with armed robbery, burglary, safe-cracking and weapons violations.
Renehan and Lafferman were also charged with felony possession of cocaine, two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance, misdemeanor larceny for theft of a credit card, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Renehan was charged with driving while impaired.
Dare County Sheriff's Deputy Charles Galloway stopped the two suspects after another motorist reported a vehicle driving erratically on U.S. 158 in Kill Devil Hills. Deputies said they recovered drug paraphernalia and about $7,500 in stolen property believed to have been taken in the Maryland incidents. The stolen goods included $3,000 in Maryland lottery tickets, leather jackets, knives and two coin collections.
After the arrests, officers said, Maryland authorities obtained a search warrant for the couple's home and discovered an additional $3,000 in lottery tickets.
Dare County Sheriff A.L. ``Bert'' Austin said the two suspects had been in Dare County only a short time. They were being held on $21,300 bond each in the Dare County Detention Center. by CNB