Authorities in Johnson County, Wyoming, have caught a husband-wife morphine dealing team, court documents allege.
Robert Archer and his wife Susan, who both turn 62 this year, face multiple drug-dealing felonies in Johnson County District Court pertaining to hydrocodone, morphine and Xanax.
They each also face one misdemeanor for alleged methamphetamine possession.
Susan’s case rose to the felony-court level Tuesday, while Robert’s case was elevated April 30.
Started With A Domestic Call
The investigation started with a domestic dispute.
Buffalo Police Department officers responded to a home on Parmalee Street in Buffalo on April 8, on a report of a domestic altercation in progress, according to an evidentiary affidavit filed in the two cases.
The person who reported the fight said Robert was threatening Susan and wouldn’t let her leave, and that he had access to guns.
When police arrived, Susan invited them into the home, where they reportedly smelled marijuana.
Susan allegedly granted consent for police to search the home. Once they found drug paraphernalia, they arrested both husband and wife, the affidavit says.
A Buffalo police officer applied for a search warrant for the home, and when that was granted agents executed it. They found two .38-caliber handguns, allegedly.
The affidavit says both Archers are convicted felons and barred from having handguns.
Cellphone Scour
Susan gave consent police to scour her phone, reportedly.
She also agreed to talk to police, and reportedly said she receives 168 hydrocodone pills per month and sells a portion of them “for the going rate.”
Susan named a local woman who has bought pills from her for at least two years, says the affidavit. Sometimes the woman nagged her so much, Susan wanted to shut her phone off, she said.
The forensic report on Susan’s phone revealed texts in which the alleged buyer would say things like “Hey Hon … can you do 20 white and 2 of your blues??” and, “Hey when we meet could I get 5 from you and 10 from ol’ boy?” according to the document.
Investigators believe “Ol’ Boy” to be the Archers’ morphine dealer.
Huband’s Phone
Robert likewise gave allegedly police consent to scour his cellphone.
He also told them he’s prescribed 195 10-milligram hydrocodone pills per month and consumes eight per day, the affidavit says.
He reportedly told police he knew Susan was selling hydrocodone to the other woman and he’d asked Susan not to take any more personal checks from that woman for pills.
He voiced an urge for them to protect all they’d earned and said “nothing we own is drug money,” the document relates.
Robert’s phone also contained references to “pills” and “ol’ boy,” reportedly.
The Buyer Said …
The Archers’ alleged hydrocodone buyer told police she’s known the couple about eight years — not merely two, the document says.
“They like getting money from me, however they can,” the affidavit quotes her telling police.
She also said that Robert tries to distance himself from the dealing, but that in reality, he “runs” Susan and that Susan doesn’t have enough organized thought to pull off the dealing operation on her own.
“He is the one that knows the other people,” the woman says. “But Susan is the one that actually has, like, does the driving or meets me.”
Prescriptions
An independent search of prescription databases and the alleged customer both confirmed that Susan and Robert each have their own hydrocodone prescriptions, and Susan also has a Xanax prescription, the affidavit says.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
