DISPATCHER IS ACCUSED OF TIPPING OFF DRUG DEALER

BENTON, Mo. -- A former Scott County 911 dispatcher has been accused of tipping off a drug dealer to an impending raid by calling the dealer beforehand from work.

Elizabeth Ann Church, 45, of Sikeston is charged with hindering prosecution, a class D felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison. She was arrested Friday and released on $2,500 bail.

A court appearance before Associate Circuit Judge David Mann was set for Aug. 29.

Sheriff Bill Ferrell said the charges stem from an incident Jan. 23 at the 911 center in Morley, Mo., which operates separately from the sheriff's department.

Ferrell said sheriff's deputies and the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force were meeting at the 911 dispatch center to discuss an impending narcotics investigation, and Church, the 911 operator on duty, was working in an adjoining room and overhead the conversation.

When officers left, Church allegedly called a person whose name was mentioned in the meeting and told the person of the impending drug raid.

Sgt. Jerry Bledsoe of the sheriff's department said Church made the call on a recorded line, and the taped conversation will be used against her.

The sheriff's department also alleged that Church told the person specific details about what clothing the officers were wearing and what vehicles they were driving.

Ferrell said the incident could easily have caused injury or death to the officers. Church admitted realizing the harm she could have caused officers, Ferrell said.

Employees at the 911 dispatch center said Church had worked for the 911 office for about five months before the incident and was dismissed immediately afterwards.

Records from the sheriff's department's investigation were submitted to the county prosecuting attorney soon after the incident, but it took nearly seven months until charges were filed.

"We've been waiting on this," Bledsoe said. "It took that long to get the warrant from the prosecuting attorney."

Phone calls to the Scott County prosecuting attorney's office were not answered Friday.