31 arrested, 12 sought after drug roundup in Athens nets cocaine, pills, guns ... - al.com (blog)

ATHENS, Alabama -After working undercover for six months, Athens Police officers arrested 31 people today and confiscated guns, $8,000 in cash and a variety of illegal drugs, including crack cocaine and pills.

Authorities are seeking 12 more people on warrants in the operation, Athens Police Chief Floyd Johnson said Saturday in a press conference.

Johnson said Operation Harvest Festival was one of the largest busts in the department's history in terms of use of manpower and the number of warrants obtained. Officers met at 4 a.m. for a briefing and then hit the streets of Athens, a Limestone County town of about 22,000 residents, and rounded up suspects until 2 p.m. "Every officer from patrol to investigations participated in this operation," Johnson said. "I am proud of their dedication and hard work to free our neighborhoods of drug dealers."

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks, who was present during the roundup, said the operation was well-planned.

"The teamwork they put together was outstanding," Marks said, adding stopping drug dealers is important to the community. "This is just the beginning of our efforts to stop this."

 

Johnson said one of his motivations for putting together the large operation was the damage drugs do to the next generation.

"It's not right for our children to be living down the street and to witness drug deals or people using drugs right in front of them," he said.

He added he intends to ask District Attorney Brian Jones to request restitution of taxpayer money used on the operation from those who are convicted. The chief is tabulating overtime pay and money used to purchase the drugs for that restitution amount.

Johnson said his department has a plan in place to conduct follow-up checks on the suspects to determine the status of their court cases and to monitor for any ongoing criminal activity.

"For us the work does not stop today," Johnson said. "We don't want them back in our community picking up where they left off selling drugs."

No one was injured in the raid. Johnson said one suspect with a loaded gun attempted to lock himself in a bathroom but was quickly captured.

Some quick facts about the raid:

• Officers obtained 95 warrants on 43 suspects before beginning the operation
• The warrants included 42 cases of distribution of a controlled substance, 27 cases of conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime, 21 cases of possession of a controlled substance and five non-drug related cases such as traffic violations or failure to appear in court.
• Six additional drug-related charges were added after the arrests and further charges may be pending.
• Drugs purchased by undercover agents included crack, cocaine and marijuana.
• A drug dog with the Limestone County Correctional Facility assisted in the roundup.
• Officers discovered a "skin-and-bones" dog, a pit bull mix being used as a guard dog, and sent it to a veterinarian for evaluation.
• Johnson said police found drugs hidden in cigarette packs, hair spray cans and other items. A can of Aqua Net hairspray with a false bottom had drugs stored inside.

Those arrested include:

• Teresa Marie Adams, 20, of 22555 Fain Road, Elkmont, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• Terry Wayne Anderson, 50, 703 Westview St., Athens, three counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Christopher Shane Butler, 20, 109 Fifth Ave., Athens, unlawful possession of controlled substance, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• James Weldon Clark Jr., 41, of 16174 Sutton Drive, Athens, unlawful possession of controlled substance, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• Thomas Devoy Coleman, 29, of 12742 Mayfield Road, Athens, two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Brandy Leigh Craft, 31, of 1210 Plato Jones St., Athens, two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Selina Cowan Gilbert, 46, of 1210 Plato Jones St., Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance
• Clifford Wayne Gill, 52, no address given, four counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Ashley Gooch, no age available, 602 Wright St., Athens, unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia
• Maureen Frances Greer, 27, no address given, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• Karen Renee Hardy, 30, 704 S. Houston St., unlawful possession of controlled substance
• Sebastian Hernandez, 53, of 10420 U.S. Highway 31 South, Tanner, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• Kenneth Levorn Holt, 55, of 1311 Plato Jones St., unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Russell Lynn Holt, 49, no address given, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Tracy Bernard Holt, 48, 1309 Plato Jones St., Athens, conspiracy to distribute controlled substance, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia
• Calvin Jacobs, 45, of 939 Strain Road, Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute controlled substance
• Antonio Marcel Langford, 20, 1667 Browns Ferry Road, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Walter Lee Leslie, 54, 839 Strange Road, Athens, two counts of unlawful distribution of controlled substance, conspiracy to distribute controlled substance and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia
• Crystal Lee McCart, 26, 1716 Elkton St., unlawful distribution of controlled substance, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• Alfred Bernard McCullough, 42, of 8688 Snake Road, Athens, unlawful possession of controlled substance, first-degree unlawful possession of marijuana

• Kelvin Moore, 47, of 113 Edinburg Drive, Athens, two counts unlawful distribution of Controlled substance, unlawful possession of controlled substance

• Faron Daniel Rogers, 19, 14019 Fox Hollow Road, Athens, conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance
• Keith Edward Siniard, 27, 1108 N. Houston St., Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• James Allen Thompson, 34, 602 Wright St., Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• James Edward Thompson, 37, 602 Wright St., Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Sabrina Ann Thompson, 34, of 602 Wright St., Athens, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance
• Latonya Tooley, 34, of 29879 Ardmore, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• Bryan Alonzo Vance, no age given, 1306 Somerest Drive, Athens, second-degree unlawful possession of marijuana
• Ernest Williams, no age given, 902 Acorn Circle, Athens, unlawful distribution of controlled substance
• Jeffrey Bryan Wise, 48, 208 Southwind Dr., Apt. 17, unlawful possession of controlled substance
• James Edward Yarbrough, 64, of 1602 Batts St., Athens, nine counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance
• Jessie Lee Yarbrough, 49, 713 Plato Jones St., Athens, unlawful distribution of a controlled substance
• Johnny Lee Yarbrough, 65, of 14805 Bell Road, Athens, six counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substance

Those wanted on warrants are:

• Chase Mikkel Benford, 19, 11406 Carolina Drive, Tanner, Apt. 535
• Kristen Ann Cline, 35, 920 E. Strain Rd, Athens
• Michael Anthony Hicks, 23, no address available
• Carol Sue Hill, 53, of 305 Bridgeforth St., Athens
• Rachel Machele Lovett, 47, 17650 Browns Ferry Rd.Athens
• Stephanie Marie Minor, 28, no address available
• Kelvin Moore, 47, 113 Edinburg Dr. Athens
• Kendall Maurice Mosley, 29, 14408 Browns Ferry Road, Athens
• Kent Mason Nichols, 23, 15078 Oneal Road, Athens
• Larence Gary Ricks, 49, of 2264 Lincoln St., Leighton
• Lydia Gail Sawyers, 28, 16931 Menefee Road, Athens
• Donald Ray Stinnett, 58, of 1704 S. Hine St., Athens
• Corey Denzell Watkins, 21, of Athens
• Rickey Arnez Williams, 50, of 909 Beech St. Athens