KPD e-News Release: Traffic Stop for Texting While Driving in School Zone Leads to Woman’s Arrest on Old and N ew Drug Charges

	Kingsport Police Department 200 Shelby Street • Kingsport, TN 37660 ThomasMPatton • 423-229-9433 (Desk) • 423-224-2786 (FAX) http://Police.KingsportTN.gov • www.KingsportPDBlog.com
NEWS RELEASE
SUBJECT:		Traffic Stop for Texting While Driving in School Zone Leads to Woman’s Arrest on Old and New Drug Charges
DATE:		March 3, 2017
CASE #:		S43079 (Texting While Driving) 17-002526 (Prescription Fraud/False Reporting) 17-004935 (Introduction of Contraband)

GENERAL NARRATIVE
On March 2, 2017 at approximately 2:30 PM, an Officer assigned to the Kingsport Police Department Traffic Unit was patrolling the Sullivan North School Zone in the 2500 block of North John B. Dennis Highway in Kingsport. The officer observed a driver, later identified as Mary Ann Bundren, operating a 2007 Nissan Frontier pickup. Ms. Bundren had her cell phone propped on top of her steering wheel and appeared to be texting while the vehicle was in motion. The officer conducted a traffic stop and spoke with Ms. Bundren who acknowledged trying to read a text message while driving through the school zone. Ms. Bundren was issued a citation for the violation. While still in contact with her, the officer learned that she had an outstanding Kingsport Police Department warrant for her arrest for the charges of 1) Attempting to Obtain Prescription Narcotics by Fraud and 2) Filing a False Police Report. This warrant originated out of a separate K.P.D. investigation about one month earlier when officers were called to P&S Pharmacy, located at 613 Watauga Street. Ms. Bundren had attempted to pick up a prescription for Subutex; however, the pharmacy had refused to fill it, stating that she had just picked up her prescription 3 days earlier and had reached her maximum allotment. Ms. Bundren adamantly denied having already picked up her medication, claimed to have been out of town on the date in question, and filed an official police report to that effect. Further investigation revealed that she had in fact appeared in person and signed for the medication as reported by pharmacy personnel. A warrant had subsequently been obtained for her arrest. She was arrested on the outstanding warrant and transported to the Kingsport City Jail. Prior to entry into the jail, the officer asked her if she had any illegal contraband on her person. She denied having any; however, during a routine processing search at booking, a glass pipe was located in her bra. The pipe contained burnt residue consistent with the smoking of crack cocaine. Ms. Bundren was additionally charged with Introduction of Contraband into a Penal Facility. She was briefly confined in the Kingsport City Jail; however, she has since been released after posting a $6,000 bond as set by the presiding magistrate.

SUSPECT INFORMATION
Name	Mary Ann Bundren
Age	Date of Birth 1/27/1965 52 Years of Age
Gender/Race	Female/White
Residency	103 Grandview Road Church Hill, TN
Charge(s)	1) Attempting to Obtain Prescription Narcotics (Subutex) by Fraud 2) Filing a False Police Report 3) Introduction of Contraband into a Penal Facility 4) Texting While Driving