Two Illinois residents jailed on drug charges

Two Illinois residents were being held in Trempealeau County jail on $35,000 cash bail each after being charged with possessing heroin and cocaine in amounts indicating they were selling the drugs.

William Earl Taylor Jr, 38, of Springfield and Shaquita Monque Triplett, 34, of Danville were arrested after a state police trooper stopped their car on Interstate 94 near the town of Sumner. According to the trooper’s report, he stopped the vehicle because he could not see any registration. He later saw a paper registration through a dirty back window, his report says.

Upon questioning the two, the trooper said he smelled marijuana and observed “commercially packaged” marijuana in the vehicle. A search of the car uncovered just over 12 ounces of heroin and a third of an ounce of cocaine, according to court records. Taylor was also charged after he allegedly dropped another three ounces of cocaine in a laundry basket as he was being searched at the jail.

Taylor was charged with felony possession of heroin with intent, possession of cocaine with intent, possession of an illegal article and related misdemeanor charges. Triplett was charged with felony being a party to a crime of possession of heroin and cocaine with intent and misdemeanors.