16 charged in county drug raid
By John Joyce
Published in News on July 3, 2015 1:46 PM
An eight-month undercover operation into illegal drug and weapons activity in Goldsboro and Wayne County came to an end Thursday, concluding with 16 of 31 suspects arrested in a county-wide drug sweep.
Two men also face federal charges.
The roundup was just part of a larger operation, Capt. Seth Harris said.
Harris heads the Goldsboro Police Department's drug squad. He said the operation was conducted by a combination of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. Contributing agencies included the Goldsboro Police Department, the Wayne, Lenoir and Sampson County Sheriff's Offices, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigations, Alcohol Law Enforcement and the N.C. Department of Probation and Parole, the Wilson Police Department and Wayne County ABC.
Suspects who avoided arrest Thursday will not be free for long, Harris said.
"Anybody who slips through the net will be picked up along the way," he said.
The roundup started not long after lunch. Officers -- most of them wearing plain clothes under tactical vests -- went looking for suspects at their last known addresses or regular hangouts.
By 2:30 p.m., 12 suspects had been arrested and officers were on their way to the Wayne County Magistrate's Office with one more in custody. Another man turned himself in.
"I have some calling me that aren't even on my list. They're calling and asking, 'Are you looking for me,'" Capt. Theresa Chiero said.
She said she was told of others who were calling bail bondsmen and asking if they needed to come turn themselves in.
In addition to the 16 charged Thursday, at least one other person wound up charged with a crime after officers saw evidence of drug possession in his home.
"The officers went in looking for someone who was on our list, and in his house they saw evidence of drugs. They got a warrant, went back and actually seized some heroin," Harris said.
Fourteen of the suspects arrested so far face local charges on the sale or possession of either cocaine or marijuana. Two men face charges for federal drug and firearms violations.
Those charged locally include:
* Anthony Jackson, 31, 908 Marvin St., possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell and deliver marijuana, $5,000 secured bond
* Marquail Brodie, 29, 715 First St. possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine, conspiracy, $8,500 secured bond.
* Christopher Rex Wood, 40, 1974 Joyner Bridge Road, felony possession of cocaine, $1,000 secured bond.
* Jennifer Burner, 101 Pate Circle, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine, conspiracy, $20,000 secured bond.
* Boris Phillips, 44, 1739 Central Heights Road, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell and deliver marijuana, $7,500 secured bond.
* Kevin Pigford, 31, 907 Georgia Ave., possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell and deliver marijuana, $2,000 secured bond.
* Cornelius Weeks, 27, 804 N. Pineview Ave., possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine, conspiracy, $10,000 secured bond.
* Jonathan O'Neal, 25, 608 Best St., possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell and deliver marijuana, conspiracy, $9,000 secured bond.
* Richard Elliot, 31, 404 Fussell St., felony conspiracy, $4,000 secured bond.
* Tyrie Gaines, 275 Johnson Lane, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, $2,000 secured bond.
* Daniel Atkinson, 25, 412 Stronach Ave., possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell and deliver marijuana, $2,5000 secured bond.
* Antonio Lamm, 28, 607 Crawford St., nine counts of trafficking heroin, $10,000 secured bond.
* Tahren Lewis, 31, 904 E Walnut St., possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, sell and deliver cocaine, $7,500 secured bond.
* Antonio Gaines, 25, 204 Denning Road, three counts first-level trafficking, $50,000 secured bond.
Two suspects, Trelante Maurice Bass Lee and Letrell Maurice Bass, both have been charged federally and will be transferred to federal custody.