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08-10-2005, 07:53 AM
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Cleaning Up Drugs
Jon Soles
Reporter
A determined detective spent three days and nights in a Benson motel room, even hiding in bushes outside, to nail a group of suspected drug dealers selling cocaine and marijuana from two rooms.
When Det. Randy Beasley noticed a steady stream of visitors showing up at rooms 140 and 144 and only staying for a minute or two, he decided something was up.
Det. Beasley remained in his motel room and sent an informant to try to buy crack-cocaine from room 144.
When the informant returned, $20 lighter, he had a rock of crack-cocaine in hand — solid proof that drugs deals were going down. Det. Beasley had search warrants in hand Thursday, but delayed serving them until Friday morning, in hopes he could catch the suspected dealers asleep and off guard.
Sure enough, when the detective and a posse of officers showed up at rooms 140 and 144 Friday morning, they found bags of marijuana, rocks of crack, piles of cash and a handgun. Five people were arrested.
The marijuana, totaling about 107 grams, was stashed in several plastic bags in the trash can and under the beds. About 20 grams of cocaine, mostly in the form of yellow-white rocks, was found hidden in the room. A set of scales and $640 cash were evidence of brisk business. A .32-caliber revolver was found under a mattress.
Chief Edwards said it appeared rooms 140 and 144 had become markets where drugs could be bought. The rooms were rented out by Bible Latonn Stokes, 24, and her boyfriend Mario Treymanye Gray, 23, both of Benson.
Lt. Beasley said the rooms had been rented out since Father’s Day weekend. He said it was unusual that the rooms were paid for in daily rates instead of cheaper weekly rates.
“I don’t know of many people who make an honest living who can rent a room daily,” Lt. Beasley said.
Chief Edwards said the quantity of drugs found was surprising. It appeared the backside of the Days Inn had become a significant market.
“These are not ‘stand-on-the corner’ sellers,” he said. “I think they had connections with some dealer with large amounts of drugs.”
The rooms were both unkempt and trashy, with garbage piled up in corners. A stack of DVD movies apparently kept the dealers entertained during the days when they waited for customers. Of the five suspects, only Ms. Stokes had a job.
Murder In Area Before
Chief Kenneth Edwards said he was surprised at drug activity in the motel so soon after a murder, possibly drug-related, occurred on the backside of the motel. In fact, he said two of the suspects were in room 158 the night 18-year-old Julius Anthony Lee was killed behind the Days Inn in June. They moved from room 158 down to 140, and then rented a second room for two more people.
“I think it shows the mentality of the drug dealer. They don’t care that there was a murder there and they don’t care about selling poison to children on the street,” Chief Edwards said. “All they care about is the almighty dollar.”
After officers raided the motel rooms, they took four people to the police station. Chief Edwards paged Ms. Stokes, who was not at the motel at the time, on a Nextel cell phone found in one of the rooms.
“Who is this?” Ms. Stokes asked.
“This is Kenneth, go to the police station,” Chief Edwards responded.
When Ms. Stokes walked through the door of the police station, Chief Edwards told her she was under arrest. Ms. Stokes said she had no knowledge of drug deals going on in the room she rented.
“I’m not a drug dealer,” she said. “How could it be me if I was not in the room?”
Chief Edwards explained to Ms. Stokes she can be held responsible, and she must have known about drug dealing in the room because she was there when the informant bought cocaine.
“When our informant knocked on the door to buy cocaine, you opened the door for him,” Chief Edwards told her.
Ms. Stokes and Mr. Gray were both charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and marijuana, and maintaining a dwelling for drugs. Both were jailed under a secured bond of $50,000.
Darieus T. Nen, 22, of 818 Martin St., Smithfield; and Amos Lupree Stokes, 18, of 118 Sunset Drive, Benson, were both charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and marijuana. They were jailed under bonds of $15,000 each.
A fifth suspect, Monica L. Randle, 19, of 3604 U.S. 701, Four Oaks, was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana.
Lt. Beasley said police targeted the motel after hearing complaints about drug sales. He said the motel owner, Sonny Patel, cooperated fully with police. Chief Edwards seemed pleased with the bust, which cut out some of the drug sales in town.
“That’s a pretty good little raid for a Friday morning,” he said.
http://dunndailyrecord.com
Cleaning Up Drugs
Jon Soles
Reporter
A determined detective spent three days and nights in a Benson motel room, even hiding in bushes outside, to nail a group of suspected drug dealers selling cocaine and marijuana from two rooms.
When Det. Randy Beasley noticed a steady stream of visitors showing up at rooms 140 and 144 and only staying for a minute or two, he decided something was up.
Det. Beasley remained in his motel room and sent an informant to try to buy crack-cocaine from room 144.
When the informant returned, $20 lighter, he had a rock of crack-cocaine in hand — solid proof that drugs deals were going down. Det. Beasley had search warrants in hand Thursday, but delayed serving them until Friday morning, in hopes he could catch the suspected dealers asleep and off guard.
Sure enough, when the detective and a posse of officers showed up at rooms 140 and 144 Friday morning, they found bags of marijuana, rocks of crack, piles of cash and a handgun. Five people were arrested.
The marijuana, totaling about 107 grams, was stashed in several plastic bags in the trash can and under the beds. About 20 grams of cocaine, mostly in the form of yellow-white rocks, was found hidden in the room. A set of scales and $640 cash were evidence of brisk business. A .32-caliber revolver was found under a mattress.
Chief Edwards said it appeared rooms 140 and 144 had become markets where drugs could be bought. The rooms were rented out by Bible Latonn Stokes, 24, and her boyfriend Mario Treymanye Gray, 23, both of Benson.
Lt. Beasley said the rooms had been rented out since Father’s Day weekend. He said it was unusual that the rooms were paid for in daily rates instead of cheaper weekly rates.
“I don’t know of many people who make an honest living who can rent a room daily,” Lt. Beasley said.
Chief Edwards said the quantity of drugs found was surprising. It appeared the backside of the Days Inn had become a significant market.
“These are not ‘stand-on-the corner’ sellers,” he said. “I think they had connections with some dealer with large amounts of drugs.”
The rooms were both unkempt and trashy, with garbage piled up in corners. A stack of DVD movies apparently kept the dealers entertained during the days when they waited for customers. Of the five suspects, only Ms. Stokes had a job.
Murder In Area Before
Chief Kenneth Edwards said he was surprised at drug activity in the motel so soon after a murder, possibly drug-related, occurred on the backside of the motel. In fact, he said two of the suspects were in room 158 the night 18-year-old Julius Anthony Lee was killed behind the Days Inn in June. They moved from room 158 down to 140, and then rented a second room for two more people.
“I think it shows the mentality of the drug dealer. They don’t care that there was a murder there and they don’t care about selling poison to children on the street,” Chief Edwards said. “All they care about is the almighty dollar.”
After officers raided the motel rooms, they took four people to the police station. Chief Edwards paged Ms. Stokes, who was not at the motel at the time, on a Nextel cell phone found in one of the rooms.
“Who is this?” Ms. Stokes asked.
“This is Kenneth, go to the police station,” Chief Edwards responded.
When Ms. Stokes walked through the door of the police station, Chief Edwards told her she was under arrest. Ms. Stokes said she had no knowledge of drug deals going on in the room she rented.
“I’m not a drug dealer,” she said. “How could it be me if I was not in the room?”
Chief Edwards explained to Ms. Stokes she can be held responsible, and she must have known about drug dealing in the room because she was there when the informant bought cocaine.
“When our informant knocked on the door to buy cocaine, you opened the door for him,” Chief Edwards told her.
Ms. Stokes and Mr. Gray were both charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and marijuana, and maintaining a dwelling for drugs. Both were jailed under a secured bond of $50,000.
Darieus T. Nen, 22, of 818 Martin St., Smithfield; and Amos Lupree Stokes, 18, of 118 Sunset Drive, Benson, were both charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and marijuana. They were jailed under bonds of $15,000 each.
A fifth suspect, Monica L. Randle, 19, of 3604 U.S. 701, Four Oaks, was charged with possession of cocaine and marijuana.
Lt. Beasley said police targeted the motel after hearing complaints about drug sales. He said the motel owner, Sonny Patel, cooperated fully with police. Chief Edwards seemed pleased with the bust, which cut out some of the drug sales in town.
“That’s a pretty good little raid for a Friday morning,” he said.
http://dunndailyrecord.com