Sheriff Jimmy Harris reports the June 3rd arrest of Timothy Brandon Richards, 31 of Ider after Drug Task Force agents went to a residence on County Road 768 near Ider to serve a warrant. Agents discovered Richards in the residence with a meth lab ready to start. A subsequent search of the residence turned up methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. A small child was removed from the residence and placed with family members by Department of Human Resource workers. Richards is charged with Unlawful Manufacture of Controlled Substance 1st, Unlawful Possession of Controlled Substance, and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and is in the DeKalb County Detention Center awaiting bond.
On June 5th officers of the Fort Payne Police Department answered a call about loud music in an apartment in North Fort Payne. When officers arrived they found an open door and talked with a person about the complaint. The officers saw drug evidence in plain view and detained the suspect while the apartment was secured. A search of the apartment by Drug Task Force agents resulted in the arrest of Samuel Edward Simpson II, 35 of Fort Payne along with Brandy Nicole Rothell, 30 and Crystal Dawn Cook, 39 also of Fort Payne.
During the search officers found a large amount of drugs, almost $4000 in cash, an assault rifle and a 9mm handgun. All three individuals were transported to jail. Cook and Rothell were booked into the Fort Payne city jail and should be moved soon to the DeKalb County Detention Center where Simpson was booked in. All three suspects are awaiting bonds at this time.
Drug Tasks Force agents and Fort Payne Police Department officers executed a search warrant June 5th in South Fort Payne on a residence and found over 50 grams of Methamphetamine, cash and drug paraphernalia. Agents arrested Norris Lee Norton, 54 of Fort Payne and charged him with Distribution of Controlled Substance and Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. The meth seized in this search warrant had a street value of over $5000. Norton was transported to the DeKalb County Detention Center where he awaits bond.
Harris states “I am proud to see our deputies, drug agents, and city officers working so well together. All of these cases were the result of good old-fashioned police work and working together. We are still having to deal with meth labs but the majority of the methamphetamine we see now is coming from outside our area. North East Alabama is being used as a distribution hub for the Cartels and we are working daily with our federal partners to curb this activity. As long as there is a demand for this drug they will try to get it here. We see improvement from time to time but this is a long term fight. We will stay after the users but our main goal is to send the distributors to prison to break the supply chain. That takes time and a lot of dangerous work. We are committed to this fight and we appreciate all the help we get from the public.”
