Federal drug raid reaches Pike County

Published 8:41 pm Monday, January 12, 2009

Three Pike County men have been indicted with drug charges in what stemmed from a major trafficking bust across southeast Alabama.

Michael Deanglo Hobdy, 34, of Troy; Rodney Maurice Pugh, 29, of Brundidge; and Delvecchio Arnes Potts, 31, of Troy were indicted along with 10 others by a grand jury and will face trial for several drug charges.

Hobdy faces 37 counts of drug charges, one for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine powder and more than 50 grams of crack cocaine, the second and third for distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine powder and the remaining charges for using a communication device (telephone) to facilitate cause or commit drug trafficking, according to Clark Morris, assistant U.S. Attorney, who spoke in a Montgomery press conference Monday.

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Pugh and Potts were indicted separately on five counts of drug charges. Morris said the first charge is for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack and the four other counts for possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine powder and crack cocaine.

The investigation, which started in 2002, was spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Agency, but DEA Resident Agent Michael Bulgrin said the effort could not have been done without assistance of local law enforcement, like the Troy Police Department.

“It was very man power extensive,” Bulgrin said. “The time and effort state and local agents put in this investigation was outstanding.”

Morris said they could not reveal exactly what led to the arrests of these individuals, but generally she said they used confidential sources, wiretaps and undercover buys in several instances.

The 13 people indicted from these cases have not been found guilty in court, but 23 others through this same investigation already have.

“We look forward to continued cooperation and several bigger and better cases coming,” Bulgrin said.

Bulgrin said this investigation has put a major dent in area drug trafficking.

Troy Police Chief Anthony Everage said just having these three local individuals off the street plays a big role in keeping Pike County streets drug free.

“It’s a big case, and it has a big impact on the amount of drugs in our area,” Everage said. “I’d like to commend our officers who worked on this case, and we appreciate the DEA and the relationship we have.”

Others indicted on the same 37 drug charges as Hobdy were: Fernando Valencia-Zavala (Perrico), of Mexico; Antioco Cabrera-Geronimo (Carolos), 29, of Enterprise; William Charles Duff (Bill), 29, of Samson; Hasan Rasheed Abdulla, 36, of Grady; Maurice Odell Kemmerlin, 34, of Geneva; Lydia Ann Cade, 34, of Samson; John Lorenzo Pope, 31, of Samson; Alfred Bernard Jones, 34, of Enterprise; Lashonda Patrice Jones, 26, of Daleville; and Isaiah Naku Fluellen, 27, of Enterprise.