Female Felon Had 15 Firearms

Detectives arrested a Cerro Gordo woman on multiple felony charges after finding 15 firearms in her home during a drug investigation.

Ruth Marlowe Strickland, 58, of – Bill Nobles Road, was jailed under $52,500 secured bond, according to detention center records. She was charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, maintaining a dwelling for drug activities, and misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Sheriff Bill Rogers said in a press release that multiple complaints from area residents led to the investigation. The case stretched over several weeks, Rogers said.

Strickland allegedly had two hunting rifles and other weapons “inside and around the residence,” the release said.

Court records show she was arrested for food stamp fraud in 1996, and convicted in 2001, receiving a sentence of four years probation.