Woman arrested for allegedly giving a child drug dealer bonds out of jail

OKLAHOMA CITY- (KOKH) — A woman arrested last week for allegedly giving away her daughter to a man she bought meth from in 2022 was able to post bail earlier this week.

According to court documents, it all started in April 2022 at an apartment complex in Moore, where it was learned that a child had not been seen in years.

A year later, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services received a collection order. Although they were unable to find the child, with the help of Moore police, they were able to locate her mother, Ashley Rowland, at a home on Regency Boulevard in Moore.

Rowland told them the child was with her father in Georgia, but she was interviewed again after authorities learned Rowland was lying.

This time, Rowland told police that she had given her daughter, who was two years old at the time, to a man from whom she bought meth and that she was heavily using drugs at the time she gave the child away.

She identified the man as Carlos, who told her he was returning to Mexico when she last saw him in April 2022.

Last week, Rowland was booked into the Oklahoma County Jail, and authorities were in the process of increasing her bail to $100,000. However, Rowland was able to get out earlier.

“So basically on that Tuesday, the judge set bond at $100,000, but by the time they set bond, the person had already been released from jail,” said Mark Opgrande, communications director for the Oklahoma County Jail.

Opgrande said this is because of what is called the bond scheme.

“There are a number of charges that you get booked for, there are automatic bails set up, and if they want to increase it, they have to have a hearing to increase the bond,” he said.

DHS could not speak to specific details about this case per policy, but sent FOX 25 a statement that said, in part:

“Situations described in this affidavit are heartbreaking and unimaginable. The agency is grateful to our law enforcement partners for their continued work to find her and for their pursuit of justice in her disappearance.”

Katie Sylvester, the judicial officer for the special judge assigned to the case, Kevin McCray, said Rowland must appear back in court on Jan. 6 for an arraignment at which she must post $100,000 or remain in custody.

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