Drug sweep
nets 22 arrests
By BOB HIGH
Teams of uniformed sheriff’s deputies, detectives and four SBI agents fanned out across Columbus County early Tuesday and arrested 22 of 30 people targeted in a lengthy sting operation enhanced with videos of each person charged with selling illegal drugs.
“This is something we’ve been working on for over a year. Ninety-five percent of the buys of drugs were documented by video cameras and we have positive identification on each of the people charged,” Sheriff Chris Batten said.
“What we did today (Tuesday) is just the first of two parts. We’ve got another 20 people targeted for arrest in a few weeks. We’ve had to stagger the time of arrests because of housing problems in our jail,” Batten added.
Tuesday’s arrests were of defendants from Whiteville, Chadbourn, Tabor City and Evergreen, and nearby areas of each of the towns, plus rural communities north of Chadbourn and Whiteville.
One man quipped most of those arrested Tuesday were not strangers to the arrest process. “I expect Humphrey Bogart and Claude Rains to walk in any minute. Remember, it was Claude Rains who made the famous comment, ‘Round up the usual suspects’ in (the movie) Casablanca.”
The arrests began at 4 a.m. Tuesday with a pair of officers assigned to individuals. Most of the defendants were found in their homes, many of them having just gone to bed. Eighteen of the 22 arrested Tuesday had been found by 10 a.m.
Sales videoed
“All of the sales were for single or double hits of cocaine, or prescription pills. All of these people didn’t know it, but we’ve had our own Candid Camera.
“We know that some of these people have been moving a lot of cocaine or pills,” Batten declared. “We are working on making other cases involving larger volumes of illegal drugs.”
Batten pointed out that his drug unit, headed by Major Bill Ingram and Sgt. Steven Worthington, recruited informants and police officers from outside Columbus County to make the buys from vehicles.
“Sometimes an officer would come and go out with the hidden camera, and the street dealers would shy away from making a sale because the person was not known to them.
“Other times, there would be very quick and secretive sales because all the seller wanted was some cash, so the dealer could handle the next customer,” the sheriff added.
“Each of the sellers were in plain view and there’s no doubt as to who they are. We want strong photographic evidence in most of what we’re doing now, because some of the undercover buys we’ve managed in the past involved people who had such bad records they were not good witnesses,” Batten said.
First appearances
Columbus County’s Chief Magistrate Sandra Lewis and fellow magistrate Mack Ward handled the legal part of the roundup, advising each defendant of their rights and told them they were required to make District Court appearances Wednesday, the first step in the process of facing felony charges.
Three of people arrested were found with quantities of drugs in their possession Tuesday and all were charged with an additional count of possession of cocaine or marijuana with intent to sell.
Those arrested are:
• Nikki/Nickey Melvin Prince, 45, of Pine Circle Drive, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine; one count of possession of cocaine with intent to sell.
• William Troy Giles, 50, of Miller Road, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Michael Prince, 47, of Pine Circle Drive, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Roy Preston “Mert” Mason, 49, of Gillard Road, Chadbourn – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Lamorris Cornelius Chestnut, 30, of Jackson Street, Chadbourn – two counts of sale of cocaine.
• Albert Henry, 29, of Jeannie Lane, Clarendon – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Rodrekoas “Rico” Devon Frink, 31, of Otis-Donnell Nixon Road, Evergreen – one count of sale of cocaine, one count of possession of marijuana for purpose of sale.
• Albert Lee Vereen, 45, of Queen Street, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Anthony Scott “Scottie” Logan, 36, Burkhead Street, Whiteville – two counts of sale of cocaine.
• Benjamin Frank Jordan Jr., 22, of Meadow Drive, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Frank Duran “Tweety” Odom, 25, of Mt. Olive School Road, Whiteville – two counts of sale of cocaine.
• Donald Lee Vereen, 41, of Pine Circle Drive, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine, one count of possession of cocaine for sale.
• Warren Reany Featherson, 48, of Silver Spoon Road, Clarkton – three counts of sale of cocaine.
• Leotha Mae Johnson, 49, of Graham Street, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• James Tamaurice Smith, 18, of Paul Barnes Road, Chadbourn – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Jamie Devon Todd, 26, of Reese Street, Tabor City – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Keith Carwell Cooper, 47, of Smith Street, Chadbourn – one count of sale of cocaine.
• Betty Blackwell Spivey, 63, of Carolina Road, Tabor City – two counts of sale of prescription pills.
• Fredrick Levon Canady, 30, of Pridgen Acres, Clarkton – one count of selling cocaine.
• Steve Michael Chestnut, 49, of Dessie Road, Chadbourn – one count of selling cocaine.
• James Anthony Frink, 32, of Giles Byrd Road, Hallsboro – one count of selling cocaine.
• Ricky Lapoleon Cooper, 25, of Tabor City – Fugitive warrant sent to Horry County, S.C., jail on one count of sale of cocaine.
All but one of those arrested Tuesday, except for four defendants who were in jail, were released on bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 by noon Wednesday – most of them before nightfall Tuesday.
Featherson must post a $30,000 bond and was still jailed Thursday morning (today).
Other drug detectives involved in the campaign and making arrests Tuesday include Heath Little, Daniel Little, Barrett Thompson, Kevin Norris and Jeff Ward. Jeff Nealey, Jeremy Barber, Trina Godwin and Sgt. David Nobles of Capt. Bobby Benton’s detective unit helped handle the mountain of paperwork.
Detention officers Linda Smith, Connie Boyd and Paul Hardy helped process the defendants after they were brought to the new metal evidence & storage building behind the main Sheriff’s Office headquarters.