Vernal Airport Security Incident Results in Drug and Assault Charges on Arizona Woman
- Jul 8
- 2 min read
| by Travis Uresk | July 8th 2026 |
Vernal, Utah (7/5/26)—At approximately 5:30 PM, TSA agents confiscated contraband during a security check at the Vernal Airport. A woman assaulted two TSA agents during the incident.
Following the altercation, she grabbed a bag from the screening table and fled the airport heading west.
Deputy Oldham was sent to the airport in response to the contraband seizure. The items involved included marijuana products and related paraphernalia, and the suspect was identified as 35-year-old Stephanie Michelle Dossett.
Various agencies assisted in locating Dossett, who was soon found hiding in the airport parking lot.
Sgt. Watkins read Dossett her Miranda rights and interviewed her. She claimed she was trying to get home to Arizona but panicked and ran from the airport. Initially, she denied assaulting anyone but later confessed to pushing one of the TSA agents to escape.
During the security check, Dossett's suitcase was flagged because a butane torch was visible on the X-ray image. When TSA agents opened the suitcase, they found various marijuana paraphernalia, a waxy substance consistent with marijuana concentrate known as "dab," and several unidentified pills. The pills were identified as Morphine, Adderall, and Xanax.
Dossett also mentioned that while she was hiding in the parking lot, she had taken two Xanax pills from a small bag she retrieved before leaving the airport. Witness accounts from TSA agents indicated that Dossett tried to claim the suitcase was not hers and that the items inside belonged to her boyfriend.
She questioned why the items brought from Arizona were a problem now.
She was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance. While there, she was asked about the morphine and Xanax pills found in her suitcase. She revealed that she had recently had surgery and used those medications for pain relief. When asked if they were in a prescribed bottle with her name on it, she said they were not. When pressed on whether she had a valid prescription, Dossett admitted to traveling to Mexico to obtain the medications and bringing them back into Arizona.
A search of Dossett’s belongings at the Uintah County Sheriff's Office revealed a small container in a side pocket of one suitcase, which held a clear, crystalline substance identified as methamphetamine. A pink and blue container found in her large purse-style bag also contained a similar crystalline substance, consistent with methamphetamine. These items were collected as evidence.
Stephanie Michelle Dossett was subsequently transported to and booked into the Uintah County Jail, facing charges of:
Assault on a Peace Officer (two counts), Possession of a Controlled Substance Synthetic Narcotic (two counts), Possession of a Controlled Substance Methamphetamine, Obstruction of Justice, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The possession charges were elevated due to previous convictions within the last seven years.
Traffic and Criminal Report
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