A 31-year-old Cheyenne woman could face up to 17 years in prison after police found a large amount of drugs inside the refrigerator in her hotel room.

Maria Sanchez was arrested on Jan. 15 and charged with felony possession of heroin, marijuana and MDMA.

Suspecting Sanchez and her boyfriend, Jonathon Swan, may be using and distributing methamphetamine and heroin in the Cheyenne area, detectives began investigating the couple -- who were staying at America's Best Value Inn & Suites -- in December.

Police stopped Swan on Dec. 16 and found 955 grams of suspected methamphetamine, digital scales, packaging materials and a firearm in his vehicle.  He also had a hotel key.

The following day, detectives contacted hotel staff and learned that Sanchez had checked out of her room at 3:35 a.m. and had left a note asking staff to bag up the food left in the room because she didn't know if she'd be back before check-out time.

Detectives also learned that housekeeping had found a large amount of marijuana inside the refrigerator in Sanchez's room.

Staff asked detectives to remove the marijuana and search the room, and 400 grams of suspected marijuana, 52.8 grams of suspected heroin, 21 suspected MDMA pills, 36 suspected Oxycodone pills and 1.5 grams of suspected methamphetamine was found in the refrigerator.

Police say Swan called Sanchez from jail several times asking if she'd gotten everything out of the hotel room, and when he asked is she'd gotten "the cabbage" out of the refrigerator her response was "oh f---."

Further recorded calls involved Sanchez discussing returning to the hotel, but being afraid of being arrested.

Sanchez made her initial appearance in Laramie County Circuit Court on Friday.  Her bond was set at $7,500 and her preliminary hearing scheduled for Jan. 24 at 1:30 p.m.

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