Investigation closes with six arrests
Published 4:00 am Friday, April 10, 2015
A long-term investigation has finally come to a close for the Pike County Sheriff’s Department as they arrested six people in connection to distribution of methamphetamine.
Annette Stewart Watkins, 46, 3011 County Road 1101; James Michael Fuller, 48, 3011 County Road 1101; Thomas Michael Clark, 37, 9827 Highway 125, Elba, Ala.;
James Derrick Walter Colley, 25, 161 County Road 103, Brundidge; Lee Kysar Howard, 38, Market Street, Ariton, Ala. and Whitney Elizabeth Mobley, 25, 973 County Road 6651, Banks, were all arrested over the course of Tuesday and Wednesday, said Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas.
Mobley and Howard were arrested Tuesday morning after callers had informed sheriff deputies the two were passed out, or sleeping, in a truck.
“Deputies responded to County Road 1112 in the Mt. Moriah area in reference to a suspicious vehicle with two occupants inside asleep, or passed out is the way we received the call,” Thomas said. “Investigator Bob Williams along with Sgt. Troy Johnson and two other deputies responded to the area.”
Williams said after approaching the vehicle Howard and Mobley were occupying a syringe filled with a liquid was sitting on the dashboard of the truck in plain sight.
“It turned out the city had an outstanding alias warrant on Howard, and in plain view on the dash of the truck was a loaded syringe of methamphetamine,” Williams said. “There was another under the sun visor that was also in plain view.”
Williams said both subjects were arrested.
Mobley was charged with possession of a controlled substance as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and is currently being held on $11,000 bond in the Pike County Jail.
Howard was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia as well, however Howard was also charged with receiving stolen property first degree after deputies ran the tags for the truck the two were in and discovered the vehicle had been stolen out of Coffee County. Howard is being held in the Pike County Jail for a total of $21,000.
After arresting both Howard and Mobley, officers discovered the drugs likely had come from Watkins who was arrested at approximately 7 p.m. Wednesday.
“We feel confident that the dugs that were seized on Tuesday were the same drugs we seized on Thursday based on phone records and other intel,” Thomas said.
Wednesday evening.
“Seized during the search was approximately 8 ounces of methamphetamine in the ice form, a higher grade of meth and $10,400 plus in cash was also confiscated,” Thomas said. “Three hand guns and a rifle were confiscated, and there were also assorted drug paraphernalia confiscated.”
Thomas said the investigation was ongoing and the department had received several calls concerning Watkins’ residence.
“This is part of an ongoing and continuous drug investigation, this particular individual was part of a investigation that’s gone on for over a year,” said investigator Bob Williamson.
Williamson said there were two small children in the residence during the time the search warrant was executed. Thomas said he appreciated the cooperation from Coffee County Sheriff’s Department and the hard work of his investigators.
“I appreciate the cooperation form Sheriff Sutton and his investigators and the work they did along with the investigators in the sheriff’s department to shut down this operation,” Thomas said. “It’s been on going for some time at this particular location. This was the largest amount of ice the department has seized or seen and we feel like this is a very substantial impact on this community and surrounding communities because of the amount of drugs being moved through the community and the evidence that we seized.”
Thomas said the sheriff’s department intended on pursuing seizing Watkins’ property if no liens had been placed on the land.
Watkins, Fuller and Clark were all charged with drug trafficking and are being held in the Pike County jail on $50,000 bonds respectively. Colley is being held on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance with a bond of $8,500.