Å Brewton woman faces 20 criminal charges after being arrested by the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.

Brenda, Boyd, 58, of 310 Pine Ridge Lane, was arrested Tuesday after officers acted on complaints concerning illegal activity at Brewton Recycling Center on Jernigan Road, where Boyd is owner and operator.

Escambia County Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said Boyd has been charged with 20 counts of violation of the salvage/scrap law. She has since been released on $10,000 bond.

“We have been receiving complaints that some scrap yards were not requiring titles for some cars that they bought,” Lambert said. “That is against the law.”

Sellers trying to sell vehicles for scrap are required by law to have a title to those vehicles if the models are newer than 1975.

Lambert said earlier in the year representatives from the State Department of Agriculture and Industries were in the county to make spot inspections.

“They went to all the scrap yards to make sure that everything was up to code and to check the scales,” Lambert said. “Most of the scales that had problems erred on the side of the customer.”

An investigation conducted by deputies Adam Johnson and Jason Yoder turned up the evidence that prompted the charges against Boyd, Lambert said.

“When they arrived at the scrap yard and asked to see the titles for the cars in her possession, she was unable to produce them for 20 vehicles,” Lambert said. “A search warrant of the business also produced a Lortab, and an additional charge of unlawful possession of a controlled substance was issued.”

The current economy is causing some people to create new ways to beat the system. Lambert said a person can go to a title loan business and leave their title for whatever cash is offered. Before the vehicle is repossessed for non-payment, that vehicle may be sold for scrap leaving the title loan nothing but a piece of paper, he said.

“We may have further arrests stemming from this,” Lambert said. “We will continue to monitor the scrap yards and let them know that they have to follow the law. Most of them are honest and law abiding, but there are always those who are not.”