Six are charged for drug activity
By John Joyce
Published in News on February 19, 2016 1:46 PM
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office had what it calls a "good day" Tuesday, netting six arrests and the seizure of various amounts of heroin, marijuana and cocaine from alleged drug dealers operating out of area hotels.
Members of the Wayne County Drug Squad, Warrants Squad and two U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Raleigh resident office task force officers were conducting investigations into citizen reports of drug activity when the arrests were made, according to the sheriff's office.
"We were just operating off of information we'd received," Lt. Mike Cox said.
While conducting the investigation, the task force happened to witness another drug transaction unfold right in front of them.
"You're sitting there watching one thing and you see another," he said.
The first report of drug activity led the task force officers to the Quality Inn in Goldsboro. DEA task force officers Michael Dawson and Dave Coultier, assisted by the warrants squad, executed a search warrant on one of the rooms on the hotel's property at 104 S. Harding Drive.
Inside the room, the officers discovered 28 grams of heroin -- roughly 850 doses -- at a street value of $16,960.
Shawnquell Futrell, 28, of 101 Laurel Patch Place in Dudley, is charged with trafficking heroin. He is being held without bond in the Wayne County Detention Center.
"He was on pre-trial release at the time he was arrested," Maj. Tom Effler said.
Heather Danielle Pierce, 30, 928 Memorial Church Road in Fremont, is also charged with trafficking heroin. Her bond has been set at $1 million.
The task force then moved to the Serena Inn at 708 Corporate Drive, where two men with several outstanding warrants were reported to be selling heroin, according to a press release.
The two suspects were seen getting out of a car in the hotel parking lot. Something alerted the men to the presence of law enforcement because the officers soon found them both hiding in the men's room in the hotel lobby.
A set of scales and 8 grams of powder cocaine were seized.
Ramah Basean Lennox, 27, 904 Elton Drive in Goldsboro, was served with two outstanding warrants for assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury and kidnapping. His bond has been set at $79,835.
Victor Devon Braswell, 26, 114 Ironwod Drive is charged with firearms and drug violations. His bond is listed as $33,000 secured.
It was during the arrest at the Serena Inn that the task force witnessed the unexpected drug transaction.
"That's happened before," Cox said.
The officers observed Christopher Torrai Wright, 28, 172 Legion Drive in Dudley, weighing out marijuana to sell to Megan Brewington, 33, 904 Harding Drive.
According to a press release, the drug squad seized 28 grams of "high-grade" marijuana and a set of digital scales from Wright.
Ms. Brewington was in possession of about 5 grams of marijuana, the release said.
Wright is charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was placed in the Wayne County Detention Center under a $1,500 secured bond.
Ms. Brewington is charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. She was released on an unsecured bond of $500.
Wayne County Sheriff Larry Pierce said he was extremely proud of his officers for their efforts.
"We will continue to target the drug trade in Wayne County in every way we can," he said.