Woman faces drug charge

Editor's note: Joseph Jones is a Register correspondent representing vermiliondaily.com. VERMILION — A Vermilion Township woman was arrested twice this year: first on bench warrants, then later on a felony drug charge after jail staff discovered suspected methamphetamine during a routine search. On May 5, Kimberly Ann Phillips, 59, was arrested at her residence on Darrow Road by deputies from the Erie County Sheriff's Office. The arrest was made at the request of the Kipton Police Department, which had issued two active bench warrants tied to earlier allegations that Phillips had threatened to shoot members of a church congregation. The warrants originated in Lorain County, and her arraignment was scheduled through Oberlin Municipal Court. According to an Erie County sheriff's report, Phillips was taken into custody and allowed to bring her purse and phone. Although the warrants stemmed from Lorain County, she was booked at the Erie County Jail due to her residency in Vermilion Township. During the jail intake process, staff searched her belongings and discovered a small zip-top bag hidden in her wallet. The bag contained a crystal-like substance. Phillips initially said it was salt, then admitted it was methamphetamine, though she denied ownership, the report states. The suspected drugs were seized and submitted to the Bureau of Criminal Investigation for testing. No charges were filed at the time pending chemical analysis. On July 18, Phillips was arrested a second time at the same residence, again by Erie County deputies, after a warrant was issued for felony drug possession. The sheriff's office confirmed that the charge stemmed directly from the lab-confirmed results of the May 5 arrest. Phillips is expected to face court proceedings in connection with both the original bench warrants and the new drug charge. The investigation remains open.