GILLETTE, Wyo. — More charges have been filed in an Arizona woman’s case after she allegedly used her sister’s name during a recent drug arrest and subsequent court proceedings, Campbell County court records say.
Sierra N. Copeland of Arizona was charged in Campbell County Circuit Court with felony forgery, felony perjury and misdemeanor interference after it came to light she used her sister’s name, Deanne Bartram, during a recent drug arrest at a local hotel, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
Gillette authorities were tipped off to Copeland’s use of the name. They spoke with the real Bartram in Glendale, Arizona, who provided her local police department with sufficient documentation proving her identity, per court documents.
The affidavit states Bartram gave Gillette authorities a detailed account of the tattoos they could expect to see on Copeland, including a “Faith” tattoo, one that said “Brendan Lee Abott” and one of her daughter’s foot. Gillette police also obtained pictures of Copeland’s and Bartram’s driver’s licenses, noting that the former matched the woman in custody.
Throughout the investigation, it was learned Copeland had previously used Bartram’s name in a 2022 criminal case in Arizona, during which she was ultimately charged with criminal impersonation and providing false identification, per the affidavit.
At the Campbell County Detention Center, Copeland reportedly refused to show her arms to a police detective, despite being told by the detective that her real identity was known. Later, detention center staff obtained pictures of Copeland’s tattoos, which matched the descriptions provided by Bartram, the affidavit states.
Copeland was charged with forgery for falsely signing Bartram’s name and perjury for falsely swearing she was Bartram during her initial appearance in Circuit Court on May 14. Per court documents, she was also charged with interference for knowingly and intentionally lying about her identity during her arrest on May 13.
As of May 22, Copeland’s records relating to her drug arrest have been amended to reflect her real name and other identifying information. A preliminary hearing for the latest charges filed against Copeland has been set for May 28.
