A woman from Louisa County, Virginia, could spend more than 100 years in prison after being involved in one of the largest drug busts in the county’s history.
On December 2, 51-year-old Dawn Morris admitted to several charges, including possession with the intent to sell illegal drugs. She was also charged with lying in court to get a free lawyer by pretending to be poor.
The investigation into Morris started in August 2022 after people complained about drug trafficking in the area. In September 2023, authorities carried out a search of a storage unit Morris owned, where she was reportedly running a pop-up market for selling illegal drugs. This type of event had never been seen in Louisa before. Morris set up tables at the market, and instead of food, she was selling illegal drugs like marijuana and magic mushrooms to the public.
Undercover officers made purchases from the market, and the drugs were sent to a lab for testing. Authorities later found pounds of marijuana at the market and, during a search of Morris’s home, discovered more marijuana, magic mushrooms, drug packaging materials, and nearly $100,000 in cash.
The total value of the drugs and cash seized was $432,000, making it one of the largest drug busts in Louisa County. Authorities are concerned about the harm this operation could have caused to innocent people, especially children, who could have easily purchased illegal substances.
Morris, who is not in custody, will be sentenced in February. She faces up to 160 years in prison for her crimes.