ATTLEBORO - A former branch manager of the North Attleboro Registry of Motor Vehicles faces charges she purchased marijuana from a customer while she was working at the Route 152 office.

Laura E. Preibis, 52, of Norwood, who no longer works for the registry, was confronted at the registry office by state police in June. She appeared Thursday on a summons in Attleboro District Court where she pleaded innocent to possession of marijuana.

She is free without bail and declined to comment when reached by The Sun Chronicle.

State police received a complaint June 5 in which a witness reported seeing an alleged drug transaction between Preibis and a "runner" for Rhode Island car dealerships in Preibis' office.

A "runner" is someone who goes to various registries and handles paperwork for various car dealerships. State police conducted surveillance at the registry at 555 Kelley Blvd. on June 9 but initially were unable to corroborate the complaint.

However, investigators got a tip from a registry employee on June 12 that an alleged drug sale had occurred in the parking lot and that Preibis put the marijuana in her car, police said.

Two state troopers confronted Preibis in her office and, after initially denying any wrongdoing, she cooperated with the investigators. Police say they recovered a small amount of marijuana from the glove box of her car.

"This isn't that bad. I'm only going to lose my job. This may be a blessing in disguise," state police quoted Preibis as telling them.

Police say they have also charged the alleged marijuana seller, Mary Ellen Gomes, 40, of 708 Newport Ave. in South Attleboro.

Gomes will be summonsed to court at a later date for arraignment on a charge of distribution of marijuana.

Gomes was confronted by state police the day after investigators questioned Preibis, and she gave investigators different stories.

She initially said a man told her to give a small shopping bag to Preibis and told investigators she did not know what was in the bag.

She later told investigators that she delivered marijuana to Preibis at least four times over a seven-month period, police said.

Gomes did not have a listed telephone number and could not be reached for comment. Preibis was immediately placed on administrative leave following the incident and now no longer works for the registry, according to Ann Dufresne, a registry spokeswoman.

In a prepared statement, Registrar Rachel Kaprielian said, "The RMV has a zero-tolerance policy for drug activity, and cooperated fully with law enforcement during this investigation. We hold our employees to the highest professional standards and have taken the appropriate action."

Preibis is due back in court Nov. 20 for a pretrial conference.