SWEETWATER COUNTY — Two people were arrested on Thursday evening after an undercover vice investigation into a suspected prostitution operation at an apartment complex in Rock Springs led police to a property manager who was allegedly supplying methamphetamine to some of the apartment’s tenants.
According to Sheriff Mike Lowell, detectives assigned to the Sheriff’s Narcotics and Arrest Group (SNAAG), a specialized unit of county detectives dedicated to drug and fugitive apprehension cases, carried out the operation and reported the following arrests:
Christina Marie Eichler, age 40, of Utah, who is charged with prostitution; and,
Deryle Dean Valerio, age 57, of Rock Springs, who is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, methamphetamine.
An undisclosed amount of methamphetamine, marijuana and cash was also seized during the operation. In Wyoming, prostitution is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than six months, a $750 fine, or both. Unlawful delivery of a controlled substance carries a maximum possible penalty of imprisonment for not more than 20 years, a $25,000 fine, or both.
Sheriff Lowell credits a cooperative effort among the Sheriff’s Office, Rock Springs Police Department, Wyoming’s Division of Criminal Investigation and tips from the public in effecting these arrests, and thanks the community for its continued support.
Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office reminds citizens all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty according to law.
-From a press release
