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Robert Gregory Evans and Valerie McGowan Rich
Two Palatka residents were charged with drug and child abuse offenses earlier this month after minors and drugs were found inside the suspects’ home, authorities said.
Robert Gregory Evans, 53, and Valerie McGowan Rich, 54, were arrested March 7, according to incident reports from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office.
Evans was charged with keeping a public nuisance structure for drug activity, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and two child abuse without great bodily harm offenses. The agency charged Rich with child abuse without great bodily harm, evidence destroying and two possession of a controlled substance without a prescription offenses.
Both suspects were also charged with numerous misdemeanors, according to the jail log.
On March 7, deputies went to a Westover Drive home Property Appraiser’s Office records show belongs to Evans.
According to an incident report, deputies received information stating two female minors were at the home, which has been known for the use and sale of narcotics.
“I know and recognize Robert from several previous interactions with him,” Deputy James Nehrbass said in a report. “I know Robert to have an active warrant in Putnam County for violation of felony probation.”
After additional deputies arrived at the home and Evans was placed in handcuffs, Evans gave his consent for law enforcement officials to search the house, the report said. Deputies saw two glass smoking pipes with marijuana residue in them, authorities said, and several drug paraphernalia items were found in his bedroom.
Deputies also found three gabapentin pain pills, baggies containing only white powdery residue and a container that held “many used needles,” the report said.
Also at the home was Rich, who refused to leave her bedroom despite deputies’ requests, according to a separate incident report. Nehrbass said a red electronic scale with “white powdery residue” was on the dresser next to Rich’s bed.
“She attempted to fold a blanket in the area where drug paraphernalia, a glass smoking pipe was located, in (an) attempt to conceal the drug paraphernalia,” Nehrbass wrote in Rich’s report.
He said he told Rich to drop the blanket and leave the room. After she refused again, he said, deputies escorted her out of the home. When asked her name, Rich said only “Valerie McGowan” to prevent deputies from learning about her outstanding warrant that dispatch officials later confirmed, Nehrbass said.
A female minor who was also in the room gave authorities a metal cigar tube that contained a rock-like substance later confirmed to be MDM, the report said. The minor said Rich told her to hide the drugs from deputies, according to the incident report.
A pouch containing several syringes – three of which were confirmed to contain oxycodone – was found in Rich’s purse, authorities said.
Deputies said there was another female minor in the home and both children admitted to living there for several months despite not being under Evans’ guardianship, the report said.
The girls admitted to doing drugs in the presence of Evans on a near-daily basis, authorities said, and Evans admitted to knowing the girls lived there and did drugs in the home.
A spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office said that the Department of Children and Families was reached to assist with the minors at the home.
Both suspects are still in the Putnam County Jail. Evans has been given no bail because of two probation violations, records show, while Rich was not given bail for her child abuse charge.