SCAPPOOSE, Ore. -- Police arrested the drug court coordinator for Columbia County on Friday after allegations surfaced that she had leaked information to drug dealers.
Authorities said Emily Cayton, of Scappoose, passed along information about people she believed to be informants to local drug dealers.
In addition, police said Cayton made a phone call to warn a drug dealer that police were on their way to serve a search warrant.
"The ramifications of this action could have been catastrophic, even deadly, if she had been correct," said Detective Sgt. Phillip Edwards. "Thankfully, she was not. The search warrant was not for someone else -- instead, it was for her."
Drug investigators said they built a case against Cayton over the course of several weeks. When they searched her home, car and office on Sept. 4, police said they found meth, drug records and suspicious documents. She was then arrested on a charge of possessing meth.
Police arrested Cayton again Friday and she was arraigned on charges she stole a laptop owned by the county and gave it to an associate.
Neighbors in the area said they had no idea what Cayton was up to.
"It is very scary. I've been in recovery for a number of years. Yeah, that's something I don't want around my kids. I'm glad they got her," said Cayton's neighbor Heather Moreland.
More charges could be forthcoming in the case. The Columbia Enforcement Narcotics Team forwarded their investigation to the Columbia County District Attorney for review.
Cayton has been put on paid administrative leave until the district attorney's investigation is complete.
