Articles Posted in Drug Possession

Last week, a police officer with the Dumas Police Department in Arkansas was arrested for alleged drug conspiracy. According to several news sources 37-year-old James Ivory Edgerson, who has worked with the department for 14 years, is charged with drug conspiracy, a drug offense that could land him in prison for life if found guilty.

U.S. Attorney Chris Thyer’s office announced the arrest on Thursday, September 10 after a lengthy investigation revealed Edgerson was making drug deliveries to confidential sources between May and September. During the investigation, Edgerson’s phone was also tapped. Upon his arrest, the suspect allegedly had an ounce of crack cocaine and three ounces of powder cocaine in his possession. Upon searching his home, authorities found $16,000, several firearms, and an unregistered suppressor.

Several other people were arrested in the drug conspiracy including Kendrick Lamar Edgerson, Rodney Lariel Edgerson, and Gregory Lamont Charles, all of Little Rock, Eli Haynes III of Arlington, TX, and Steven Sherrod Miles of Dumas. In total, police seized $222,000 in cash, five firearms, one pound of marijuana, one ounce of crack cocaine, and 28 ounces of powder cocaine after searching officer Edgerson and two other defendants’ homes.

Late last week, a 20-year-old Newark man was arrested after Delaware State Police found drugs and other items in his home. Police believe that Joshua Gaines, who lives in the 200 block of Smithmill Road, was selling marijuana and other substances after searching the home.

Police began investigating Gaines after allegations began to surface that he was selling drugs from his home. Upon searching the residence, investigators claim to have found more than 10 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, five pounds of marijuana, 47 prescription drug pills (oxycodone), several weapons including a 12 gauge shotgun, AR-15 assault rifle, and sawed-off shotgun, and more than $2,000 in cash which authorities suspect is proceeds from the sale of drugs.

Gaines is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a destructive weapon, two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance in tier 2 quantity, two counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, possession of a controlled substance in a tier 2 quantity, and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription. After posting $10,200 bail, Gaines was released.

On Saturday, August 22, two Arizona men were arrested by deputies with the Canadian County Sheriff’s Dept. in Oklahoma after being pulled over for driving erratically on Interstate 40.

56-year-old Rafael Luna of Glendale and 50-year-old Jose Lopez of Phoenix told the deputies they were on their way to Missouri for a graduation, that Luna’s son was graduating from U.S. Army basic training. Deputies became suspicious when the two men’s stories seemed inconsistent. They were ultimately arrested after detectives had a drug sniffing canine brought to the scene to sniff around the vehicle, and found black-tar heroin and cocaine in the trunk of the Mercedes Benz the suspects were traveling in.

According to NewsOn6.com, 1.2 pounds of black-tar heroin was found in the vehicle, along with 15 pounds of cocaine. The drugs were located under the spare tire after ‘Pickles’ (the dog) alerted to the trunk area. Both men were taken into custody immediately. Luna is a fourth-grade teacher, and admitted that his summer job was hauling drugs for extra money. Lopez told investigators he had recruited Luna, and that he had been recruited himself to haul drugs; he works as a mechanic.

On Tuesday, August 25, two Lakeside, CA women were arrested after authorities found marijuana, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and ammunition inside a home located on Wintercrest Drive, according to a CBS news report.

The drugs were seized when sheriff’s deputies from the Santee station served a search warrant at the residence. An undisclosed amount of cash was also found in the home, according to an article at The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The suspects, 52-year-old Kristina Duerksen and 53-year-old Robin Faulkner, were arrested at the scene and charged with sales of controlled substances, possession and sale of drugs and drug paraphernalia, maintaining a place for trafficking in controlled substances, manufacturing a controlled substance by chemical extraction, and being a felon in possession of ammunition. Duerksen and Faulkner were booked into Las Colinas Detention Facility.

On Monday, August 17, 35-year-old Macon defense attorney Holly Hogue Edwards was charged with drug distribution. A news article at 11 Alive says that Edwards was arrested after being pulled over on Interstate 75 in Peach County, according to Monroe County investigator Greggory Phillips. Authorities pulled the criminal defense lawyer over to serve an arrest warrant charging her in the case involving distribution of oxycodone. 

Edwards is charged with a single count of distribution of oxycodone and methamphetamine, and three counts of distribution of oxycodone. Oxycodone is a prescription narcotic pain medication that is highly abused and addictive.

A Monroe County Sheriff’s Office news release stated that Edwards sold drugs to undercover agents. The investigation of Edwards began in May when it was learned that she might be involved in illegal activities including the use and distribution of illegal drugs. The indictment revealed that the incidents Edwards is alleged of being involved in occurred in May and June.

Following a months-long investigation of the activities of five men in the Austin, TX area, all five were arrested on Wednesday, August 5 according to a recent report at the Statesman. The investigation spanned several cities in the Austin area, and resulted in the seizure of about 2,500 grams of cocaine along with more than $60,000 in cash.

Brent Garrett, 41, and his son Brent Garrett Jr., 22, both of Hutto are suspected of being involved in cocaine trafficking through several networks in Williamson and Travis Counties, according to arrest affidavits. Police said months of information provided by confidential informants and multiple sources led to the arrests of the Garretts, and that members of the Austin Police Department’s Gang Suppression Unit tracked the men, watching what they suspected to be drug transactions. Father and son were arrested on charges of possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.

Another man, Terry Alexander, rode with the elder Garrett as the two made their way to a Target packing lot, where a man who was waiting got into the back seat of the vehicle. The man got out of the back seat a short time later and got into another car. Police believed they were watching a drug deal in progress. When Garrett and Alexander left the parking lot, the two men were pulled over because Garrett did not use a turn signal. Police called in a narcotics detection team, and ultimately found over 100 grams of cocaine in the center console of the car. Both were arrested.

Recently, four individuals were arrested in connection with distribution of drugs (namely marijuana) in Alabama. The four individuals are employees of the U.S. Postal Service, and work at three different facilities in Tuscaloosa County. All of those involved are also residents of Tuscaloosa, according to an ABC news article.

The post offices where the four individuals work include one in the downtown area, one in Northpoint, and one on Skyland Boulevard. Those arrested include Jocelin Betts, Lenard Pompey, Quincy Doss, and Manual Johnson. Doss is believed to be the head of the drug trafficking organization. Betts is charged with one count each of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and trafficking marijuana. Pompey is charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute marijuana; Doss is charged with one count each of trafficking marijuana, attempted distribution of marijuana, attempted possession of marijuana first-degree, and two counts of distribution of marijuana. Johnson is charged with one count each of conspiracy to traffic marijuana, attempted possession of marijuana first-degree, attempted distribution of marijuana, and two counts of distribution of marijuana.

Investigations have been ongoing since late 2014 when agents with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force discovered Tuscaloosa was being shipped a higher rate of marijuana, and started suspecting employees of the U.S. Postal Service may be involved. The drug distribution scheme is believed to have involved more than 500 lbs. of marijuana. Other agencies assisting in the drug distribution investigation include the FBI – Tuscaloosa office, U.S. Postal Inspectors, and the U.S. Postal service-office of Inspector General. Investigators claim the workers were paid by known drug traffickers who recruited the individuals to facilitate the delivery of the inbound drugs to members of the trafficking organization. Postal employees also allegedly “tipped off” dealers when they were aware law enforcement had been alerted regarding drugs in certain packages, so that the dealers would not accept those packages.

On Tuesday July 21, a search warrant was served by the Cache-Rich Drug Task Force on a home located in Logan, Utah after it was suspected there were illegal drugs in the home located in the area of 300 North and 300 East, according to a news report at HJNews.com.

In all, four individuals were taken to jail. Cameron Sanchez, 21, is believed to be a drug dealer, perhaps the leader of the group of teens who were arrested. Upon executing the search warrant, agents with the drug task force found psilocybin mushrooms, two immature marijuana plants, more then two pounds of cannabis (marijuana), and a substance they referred to as “shatter,” a hard candy like material made from cannabis extract containing THC according to Logan Police Lt. Tyson Budge.

The other three people arrested and booked into the Cache County Jail include Izaya Johnson, 18, Maddison Young, 19, and Samuel Taylor, 19.

On Friday July 17, a 50-year-old man was arrested in the Dallas area following a police chase that resulted in drug charges.

According to The Dallas Morning News crime blog, Jose Lopez led Mesquite police on a car chase after police spotted him near Belt Line Road and U.S. Highway 80 and attempted to stop the drug suspect. Lt. Brian Parrish, a police spokesman for the Mesquite department, said that Lopez fled from police in a pickup, driving to a neighborhood north of Fair Park. During the chase, Lopez jumped from the pickup, which was still moving. The truck crashed into a fence while Lopez ran on foot.

Eventually a Department of Public Safety helicopter tracked Lopez down, and he was apprehended and arrested by police. At the time of news reports he was being held on $12,500 bail, and had been booked on one count each of manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance and evading arrest in a vehicle. News reports do not indicate what drug or drugs were involved.

Recently, a 28-year-old Georgia man was arrested in Delaware after police in Bear were conducting property checks  and came across the man as a result of hearing loud music.

According to a news report at Delawareonline.com, Cordeiro McClain of Ellenwood, GA was in the area of the Sparrow Run neighborhood off U.S. 40.  Police officers were conducting increased patrols in specific neighborhoods following their weekly Targeted Analytical Policing Systems meeting.  Officer First Class Tracey Duffy said that as they approached the vehicle, which was parked at a dead end, officers saw that the driver’s seat was empty and McClain was sitting in the front passenger seat.  Another person came out of a nearby residence as police were talking to McClain, claiming the radio in the car was broken.

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