A woman was arrested on multiple drug charges after her friend nearly died from swallowing 70 Adderall pills – allegedly mistaking them for Reese’s Pieces – while vacationing on a Massachusetts island.
Nicole Pelrine, 32, was visiting an unnamed friend in Nantucket over Memorial Day weekend when the celebration took a dark turn – she called 911 to report a suspected overdose, as reported by the Nantucket Current.
She told responding officers she believed her friend accidently ingested 70 Adderall pills located on a nightstand, believing them to be the popular chocolate candy.
While the alleged victim was airlifted in critical condition to a hospital off the island, officers found large amounts of cocaine and an unknown amount of heroin in the residence, leading to Pelrine’s arrest.
She has pled not guilty to charges of possessing a Class A drug, trafficking cocaine over 36 grams but less than 100 grams, and inhaling a glue/toxic substance.
‘She was nonchalant, but ultimately standoffish,’ Cape & Islands assistant DA Shaunna Souve said, referring to Pelrine’s interactions with police, according to the outlet. ‘The story was consistently changing.’
Just before 2pm Sunday afternoon, Pelrine – who is also reportedly homeless – called 911 from a Heller’s Way property near Cisco Beach to report an overdose.
When officers arrived, she explained that she come to the island on Friday to stay with the alleged victim at his parents’ house for the weekend and planned to leave on Monday.
The alleged victim was given Narcan right away, then airlifted to a hospital off the island, where they remained in critical condition as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the outlet.
At first, Pelrine claimed she didn’t know the alleged victim’s name.
However, after an investigation, it was found that she had been friends with him for a few months – though she emphasized that they hadn’t had any previous relationship before the incident.
Pelrine also told responding officers that they had been drinking all night and didn’t remember taking any drugs.
During a search of the property, authorities allegedly discovered white powder and solid, chunky substances weighing a total of 78.5 grams scattered around the home – on side tables in the living room, as well as in the kitchen and bathroom.
‘Pelrine was also adamant about no one going into that one bedroom where the door was closed,’ Souve said, as reported by the Nantucket Current.
Law enforcement said they also found a tan powder – believed to be heroin – in several places around the house, as well as two large canisters of nitrous oxide, thick balloons likely used to breathe the gas in, a scale with white powder on it, several crack pipes, butane lighters and other drug-related items.
Pelrine was subsequently arrested and held in jail until her arraignment on Tuesday, where she pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Jenny Margeson, Pelrine’s court-appointed attorney, argued that because her client was the one to 911 and get the alleged victim medical attention, the case should be covered under Good Samaritan Law instead of being treated as a criminal matter.
‘He experienced an overdose. She called 911,’ Margeson said, as reported by the outlet.
‘This is a real straightforward Good Samaritan Case your honor. There was a gentleman experiencing an overdose.’
She also stated that her client had known the alleged victim for about a month and that they were friends, also confirming that the Nantucket home did not belong to Pelrine.
Additionally, Margeson claimed the drugs found by police didn’t belong to her client either.
‘My client stated she believed that it was his own prescription medication – that would confirm her story – and it clearly wasn’t a heroin overdose,’ Margeson argued.
‘The fact that she doesn’t have his thorough medical history is not a crime,’ she added. ‘She was visiting. They’ve been friends for a month.’
‘But the fact that she doesn’t know his intense medical history is not against the law.’
On Tuesday, Souve urged the court to hold Pelrine as a danger to the public until her trail, citing two open cases for possession of a Class B substance, a history of missed court appearances, and the fact that the alleged victim remains in critical condition.
She also noted that Pelrine is homeless, which could make it difficult to monitor her whereabouts.
However, Nantucket District Court Judge Paul Pino ultimately ruled that Pelrine did not pose a danger to the community and set her bail at $1,000 cash or $10,000 surety, though it remains unclear whether she’ll be able to post it.
She was ordered to return to court on June 23 for a pretrial hearing.