A Portsmouth woman with a lengthy history of drug cases and probation violations was arrested again after police said she took off on foot during a late-night bicycle stop.
Just after midnight, Portsmouth officers attempted to stop a woman riding a bicycle near 6th and Brown Streets.
According to the police log, the woman abandoned the bicycle and ran.
Officers caught up with her near the intersection and detained her. Police then confirmed that she had an active warrant.
Michelle Burnheimer was arrested on charges of probation violation and obstructing official business and booked into the Scioto County Jail.
She later appeared in Portsmouth Municipal Court and was released on her own recognizance, with another hearing scheduled for October 20.
Years of Drug Charges, Treatment and Probation Violations
The latest arrest adds to a court history that stretches back years.
Burnheimer was arrested on August 31 on charges of obstructing official business and drug abuse. She was also convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in June.
Her more serious court history dates back to a 2018 heroin trafficking case.
In 2019, a court found Burnheimer eligible for intervention in lieu of conviction, a program that allows certain defendants to receive treatment while further criminal proceedings are put on hold.
Burnheimer pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree felony count of trafficking in heroin and was ordered to complete a three-year rehabilitation program. The conditions included avoiding alcohol and drugs and complying with her treatment plan.
But the intervention did not last.
Following probation violations, the court terminated her participation in the program in 2021 and sentenced her to three years of community control. The court warned that additional violations could result in more restrictive sanctions or a 17-month prison term.
After further violations, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records received by the court in 2022 showed that Burnheimer had been admitted to state prison on June 2 of that year. The records listed a calculated release date of December 7, 2022, including jail-time credit.
Now, four years later, Burnheimer is back in Portsmouth Municipal Court following another arrest.
The latest case began with a bicycle stop, a brief foot chase and an outstanding warrant. It adds another chapter to a lengthy cycle of drug-related charges, treatment opportunities, probation violations and arrests.
Burnheimer is presumed innocent of the new charges unless and until proven guilty in court.