ADAMS TWP — A suspected drug dealer from Saxonburg is behind bars after allegedly lying to police officers about her name on multiple occasions.

Adams Township police say the woman they arrested for drug possession on July 14 was actually Sanya L. Vantassel, 39, even though she had no identification and gave a statement using a different name.

Vantassel was arrested Dec. 7, and on Dec. 13 she waived to court nine charges including three counts of felony forgery, criminal use of a communication facility, false report, false identification to law enforcement, two counts of drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was the passenger in a car that was pulled over on Route 228 in July for having a brake light out, according to the criminal complaint. Neither the driver nor the passenger had identification on them, and police allegedly found two crack pipes, a container with crack inside, a syringe, three stamp bags and a bundle of heroin stamped with the Toyota logo.

In an interview with police, Vantassel allegedly said she has recently started using drugs again after four years clean. She also said she had made $8,000 as a dancer at a club in New York. After getting her consent, police searched her two cellphones and allegedly saw text messages from people requesting to buy drugs using slang words such as “candy” and “stick.”

The driver of the car, David A. Riker, 39, of Saxonburg also faces misdemeanor drug possession charges from the incident.

After she was released, police looked up the woman’s photograph and realized it did not match the person who had been in custody. The next day, they identified the woman as Vantassel and discovered that she had active warrants in Butler and Allegheny counties.

She also is accused of giving false identification to Saxonburg police on July 27 and Butler Township police on Jan. 28 in connection with a drug possession arrest. The charges from Butler Township were held for court in January, while the Saxonburg charge was also waived to court last week. She has convictions for prostitution and drug possession in Allegheny County. District Judge Wayne Seibel on Dec. 13 reduced her bail from $2,500 to $2,000, but she has not been released.