“Operation Real Deal” netted the Marion County Sheriff’s Office 14 arrests on Good Friday in an effort to remove drug dealers from the streets.
The operation began with a search warrant at 1649 North Park Ave., where Clifton Abram and Raquel Ervin were arrested and charged related to seized narcotics and firearms. A second search warrant netted the arrests of Rory Forbes and Shaniamecia Williams at 706 North Park Ave.
Sheriff Berkley Hall said the department tries to put together two or three drug raids every year, and this particular raid was focused on drug dealers.
“It’s an ongoing deal. We try to do this on a regular basis, and we’ll probably have another one in the near future. As long as people keep selling drugs, we’re going to keep trying to make buys off of them and when we do we’re going to arrest them,” he said. “Then the justice system will take it from there.”
Hall added that the entire department deserved credit for the success of the raid.
“I give my hats off to Capt. Pete Williams, who is the one who heads up the narcotics end of it and is captain of investigations also. Everybody in the department works together on this,” he said. “It was a good success, and we’re still hunting several more individuals.”
• Abram was charged with three counts of sale of a controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm and three counts of felony child endangerment.
• Ervin was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute while in possession of a firearm and three counts of felony child endangerment.
• Forbes was charged with two counts of sale or transfer of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
• Williams was charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
• Katrina Jefferson was charged with three counts of sale or transfer of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a park.
• William McLendon was charged with one count of sale or transfer of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a school.
• Edward Johnson was charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance (grand jury indictments).
• Justin Jefferson was charged with one count of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a park and two counts of sale of a controlled substance.
• Paul Fisher was charged with three counts of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church, one count sale of a counterfeit substance and felony tampering with evidence.
• Ricardo Thompson was charged with two counts sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church.
• Harley Ford was charged with one count of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church.
• Amber Mason was charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church.
• Lisa Gayle Ford was charged with one count of sale of a controlled substance within 1,500 feet of a church.
• Casey Jones was charged with two counts of sale of a controlled substance. (Currently incarcerated in the Jeff Davis County Jail with a hold for the Marion County Sheriff’s Office on these charges.)
Hall said that as long as people are willing to take the risk of selling drugs, the department is going to continue to crack down on them.
