Michigan Criminal Lawyers Blog

On Saturday, March 19 two people were arrested after police were called to investigate a domestic dispute in the 300 block of Braddock Road in Smyrna, DE. The arrests were in connection with a large amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia found at the scene, according to news reports.

Cpl. Brian Donner said in a statement that police were called to the residence for a reported domestic disturbance at about 10:45 Saturday morning. The disturbance was apparently between 51-year-old Emory Monroe, and 38-year-old Genevia Wiltbank. In the course of investigating Monroe, police found he had approximately 50 grams of marijuana in his possession.

Other officers responding to the scene contacted Wiltbank, and upon further investigation the officers found reason to get a search and seizure warrant. With the help of the department’s K9 team, 200 additional grams of marijuana were discovered along with digital scales and other drug paraphernalia.

Recently, 51-year-old Charles “Bennie” Benfer IV was arrested after authorities raided his Marietta, PA home and discovered 111 grams of methamphetamine during the raid, according to news reports. Now, officials believe they have severed a “major artery” of the supply of meth to Lancaster County as they say Benfer had ties to a Mexican cartel.

Authorities claim Benfer had a source in Mesa, AZ who was supplying him with 4 ounces of methamphetamine every week, a source with connections to a Mexican cartel. Spokesman for the Lancaster County DA’s office Brett Hambright commented that 4 ounces is “no small amount,” and that Benfer was “absolutely a major meth supplier in Lancaster County.”

During the raid of Benfer’s home police also discovered paraphernalia used for packaging and selling drugs, along with 86 grams of marijuana. He also had storage sheds in Conoy Township where authorities found additional drug paraphernalia along with oxycodone pills.

Recently, a 28-year-old West Humboldt Park resident with a history of drug arrests was once again arrested after authorities intercepted a package at the post office. According to news reports at the Chicago Tribune, Darrell Crider picked up a package at a P.O. box in Thursday – but only after the package had been intercepted by officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, after some of the contents of the package had been removed.

Officials intercepted the package, which was mailed from the Netherlands and contained hundreds of “Molly” pills, also referred to as MDMA. The officials took out more than 300 of the 542 pills, then allowed an undercover U.S. Postal Service inspector to deliver it to the P.O. box where Crider would pick it up, unknowingly under surveillance. Crider picked up the package along with two others, then placed the packages in the back seat of a vehicle that was waiting on him according to reports.

Crider rode in a vehicle another man was driving, the two making their way to Crider’s home not knowing he was being watched. Minutes after Crider took the package into his apartment building, investigators were alerted that he had opened the package; this validated authorities’ anticipatory search warrant, which they served. Crider fled from the back door of the apartment upon being served, however authorities quickly apprehended him during the brief foot chase.