PIPESTONE — A mother and son were arrested June 4 for the illegal sale of prescription drugs.
With the assistance of a Cooperating Individual (CI), the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force spent several months building a case against Elizabeth Buffington, 44, and her son, Derrick Buffington, 20, both of Pipestone.
On Sep. 27, 2019, Oct. 27, 2019 and Jan. 22, 2020, a CI purchased controlled substances from the elder Buffington, with Derrick present for the Sep. 27 sale and participating in the Jan. 22 sale. Prescriptions sold include lisdexamfetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, and clonazepam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.
Elizabeth Buffington faces a fourth-degree drug sale charge for each of the three cases, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and/or a fine of $100,000. Derrick Buffington was also arrested on the same charge for his participation in the Jan. 22 sale.
At the time of her arrest, Elizabeth Buffington also had a minor child living in the home with her. When law enforcement served an arrest warrant on her last week, officers searched the home and found a number of items containing a white residue that field-tested positive for methamphetamine. The discovery of meth residue landed Buffington with additional charges of third-degree drug possession, a felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and/or a $250,000 fine, and storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child, a felony with a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
