A 65-year-old Oklahoma woman told police that a bag containing what officers identified as 39 grams of methamphetamine was actually sugar, according to the Tulsa Police Department.
Officers discovered the substance while investigating a reported shoplifting incident at a Tulsa Walmart. Store security had contacted police after watching the woman allegedly place unpaid merchandise in her purse.
The encounter took another unusual turn when officers asked about a pipe found among her belongings. The woman denied owning it, but offered an observation about how people used to do things back in her day.
Teresa Marie Ballard was arrested following the October 18, 2026, incident. County jail records show she faces four charges, including trafficking illegal drugs and petit larceny.
A Late-Night Shopping Trip
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Tulsa police officers responded to the Walmart near Admiral Place and Memorial Drive at approximately 11:17 p.m. Sunday, according to an October 21 statement from the Tulsa Police Department.
Walmart security employees told officers they had watched Ballard place unpaid merchandise in her purse. When employees examined her bags, they reported finding drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Responding officers subsequently found a bag containing 39 grams of suspected methamphetamine, according to the department.
Ballard reportedly claimed the substance was sugar.
Police also found a pipe and a small amount of marijuana among her belongings.
Back in Her Day
When questioned about the pipe, Ballard denied that it belonged to her.
She nevertheless offered a comment that Tulsa Police included in their public account of the arrest.
“That’s not how they used to do it back in my day,” she reportedly told officers.
The department followed that quotation with a brief observation: “She did not elaborate.”
Police released photographs showing the suspected methamphetamine, Ballard seated during the Walmart encounter, and her booking photograph.
The Weight Behind the Charge
Under Oklahoma’s Trafficking in Illegal Drugs Act, possession of 20 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine can support a trafficking charge.
The 39 grams reported by Tulsa Police would exceed that threshold if the substance and weight are confirmed.
A trafficking charge under this provision does not necessarily establish that someone sold drugs or intended to distribute them. The quantity possessed can independently satisfy the law’s trafficking requirement.
Police have not said whether they believe Ballard was using the suspected methamphetamine, distributing it, or both. Although officers reported finding a pipe, they have not established that she used it.
Methamphetamine use among older Americans is also documented in federal surveys. According to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 192,000 Americans aged 65 and older reported using methamphetamine during the previous year. That national estimate does not establish anything about Ballard’s personal drug use.
Four Charges Follow
Ballard was booked into the Tulsa County jail on October 19, the day after the Walmart incident.
Tulsa County jail records identify four charges: trafficking illegal drugs, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of medical marijuana without a card, and petit larceny.
The trafficking charge carries a listed bail amount of $15,000. The other three charges have no separate bail amounts listed in the booking record.
The records confirm that the reported shoplifting incident also resulted in a larceny charge. Police did not identify the merchandise Ballard reportedly placed in her purse or disclose its value.
All parties are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.