Pubdate: Thu, 15 Jan 2009
Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
Copyright: 2009 The Commercial Appeal
Contact:  http://www.commercialappeal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/95
Author: Tom Bailey Jr.
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

DEEP COVER: NEW GIRL AT MILLINGTON SCHOOL PARTIED, MADE FRIENDS - AND
SOUGHT TO SCORE DRUGS

The new student at Millington Central High School was freaking out in
study hall.

She'd just been talking to a boy about scoring some drugs one late
September day when she turned to get her purse and couldn't find her
cell phone inside.

The slight, pretty girl with dark blonde hair and a darker secret went
nuts.

She jumped up and dumped the purse out onto the table, demanding, "Who
took my cell phone!?"

The phone's loss itself was of no importance.

But if the thief bothered to call the stored numbers, he'd hear such
greetings as: "This is Inspector Charlie Coleman of the Millington
Police Department ..."

Word would surely spread through hallways and text messages that the
flirty senior who transferred in August, went to class and all the
games, partied with them, ate cafeteria food, showed interest in
drugs, even used a marijuana image for her wallpaper on MySpace, was
with the cops!

Suddenly, her deep-cover operation was imperiled just halfway through
the semester.

The fake student ran to the office of assistant principal Bo Griffin,
the only person on campus besides principal Ted Horrell who knew her
real identity.

"Do you have Charlie's number?'' she recalled asking Griffin,
referring to Inspector Coleman, who helped set up the sting.

Police shut her phone off in an hour, before anyone stumbled upon its
secrets.

Operation Trojan Horse would continue for three more months until
police swarmed campus on Dec. 16.

The day before, the new girl had quietly left school for
good.

Officers arrested 13 students for selling drugs to a person they
thought was one of them. All transactions were recorded.

Police still won't publicly identify their confederate because the
21-year-old may be used in future stings.

But on condition of anonymity, she agreed to an interview about her
extraordinary experience.

High School Flirt

She described tackling the assignment as if she were an actress
playing a role. Her character was flirty.

"That's the biggest thing. I had to act like a stoner pretty much.
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MAP posted-by: Doug