Jeremy James

Colleen Searle

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A Cody man and his fiancée are facing criminal charges after he allegedly drove while high on meth — and with their 4-month-old child in the vehicle.

After being pulled over and failing a sobriety test last month, Jeremy W. James, 41, allegedly told the trooper that he, his fiancée Colleen R. Searle and another passenger had all smoked methamphetamine together several hours earlier.

“... Mr. James admitted that there would be methamphetamine in his blood and stated he felt impaired,” Trooper Marc Russell wrote in an affidavit. Russell also reportedly found a couple pipes and a small amount of meth in Searle’s bag.

At the time of the July 15 traffic stop north of Meeteetse, James was already facing a felony drug charge in Washakie County from earlier this year. Now, Park County prosecutors have also charged James with a felony count of allowing a child to be in an area where methamphetamine is used or stored and misdemeanor counts of possessing a controlled substance and driving while under the influence with a child passenger.

Searle, 22, has similarly been charged with a felony count of allowing a child to be in an area with meth, plus misdemeanor counts of possessing a controlled substance and child endangering. The endangering count alleges Searle allowed her infant to ride in a vehicle driven by someone she knew was high.

Both James and Searle have pleaded not guilty to the allegations. As of Friday, James remained in jail in the Park County Detention Center with bail set at $50,000; Searle, meanwhile, was released on a signature bond on July 24, allowing her to remain free while she awaits further proceedings.

Trooper Russell pulled James’ Jeep Cherokee over on Wyo. Highway 120 — about 9 miles north of Meeteetse — after noticing a cracked windshield that reportedly obscured the driver’s view.

After approaching the vehicle, Russell reportedly noted several traffic violations: Neither Searle nor the other passenger, Tiffany D. Ringgenberg, 39, were wearing seat belts; James didn’t have any insurance on the Jeep; and all three adults’ driver’s licenses were suspended.

The trooper also learned that James was out on bond in Washakie County on a felony charge of conspiring to deliver methamphetamine and subject to searches by law enforcement.

While Russell wrote out citations for the traffic infractions, he summoned fellow Trooper Bill Kirkman and his drug-detecting K-9. The canine alerted to the scent of narcotics, and Searle volunteered that she had a marijuana pipe and a meth pipe in her bag, the affidavit says. The troopers found the pipes as well as a small vial of apparent meth.

While they were searching the vehicle, the troopers also reportedly noticed a text arrive on James’ phone that said, “The guy is baling on [the] deal if not done by 1.” Russell suspected it was related to a planned drug deal.

During interviews, James allegedly said he had used meth about four hours earlier with Searle and Ringgenberg; Searle reported that the meth came from Ringgenberg, the affidavit says.

Troopers arrested Searle and James at the scene and the Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) took the couple’s child into protective custody. The Park County Attorney’s Office has also filed a petition alleging Searle and James neglected the infant, according to a filing from James’ defense attorney.

Russell said Department of Family Services personnel told him that Searle and James “had been reported to DFS on numerous prior occasions for suspicion of neglect, endangerment and parental drug use.”

Both Searle and James are tentatively scheduled for December trials in Park County District Court.

The Wyoming Highway Patrol did not take Ringgenberg into custody on July 15. However, she would be arrested only a week later after authorities in Thermopolis allegedly caught her and two other men with more than 3 ounces of meth.