Sister of Bradenton woman charged with selling heroin will be allowed to post her bond

BRADENTON -- The sister of a Bradenton woman charged with selling heroin will be allowed to bond her out of jail, a judge ruled Friday morning.

Shakila Flewellen, 29, has been held at the Manatee County jail since her Feb. 12 arrest on heroin-dealing charges stemming from an investigation in 2014. After her arrest, a judge set bond at $60,000, but ordered she be held until she could show any money for the bond was not illegally obtained.

Assistant State Attorney Dickey Hough detailed for a judge the quantities of heroin Flewellen is charged with selling to an undercover officer in September and October of 2014: 69 small bags of heroin for a total of $1,200.

Flewellen appeared before Circuit Judge Hunter Carroll as her defense attorney Liane McCurry argued bond should be reduced and she be allowed to post it.

Carroll lifted the hold and said Flewellen's sister would be allowed to post bond using her income tax refund money and through a specified bail bondsman. Flewellen's bonds were also reduced to a total of $20,000.

Carroll said he considered the factors presented and how Flewellen had performed while on probation since March 2015 on separate drug-dealing charges.

"I applaud that there does not appear to be any violations of community control," Carroll said.

Flewellen is on probation for six convictions for selling, delivery or manufacturing of heroin and seven convictions for selling, delivery or manufacturing of cocaine for offenses in June and July 2014.

Flewellen testified to the judge she had been a week away from graduating from Manatee Technical College when she was arrested Feb. 12 and had three job offers as a barber, her life-long dream. She said she was passing all her classes.

"When you like what you are doing, you do good," Flewellen said.

Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 11:42 PM with the headline "Sister of Bradenton woman charged with selling heroin will be allowed to post her bond ."