Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Three in court on drug charges

Two local men who were arrested on drug charges in a 2005 sting operation have plead guilty while a third was found not guilty by a jury in Clark County Court.

The three men, Chauncey Charles, Carlton Marks and Terrence Darnell Marks, were all arrested after a lengthy undercover drug operation in Gurdon, Clark County Prosecuting Attorney Henry Morgan said. The operation was organized by Gurdon City Marshal Don Childres, and the first arrests were made on Nov. 4.

Terrence Darnell Marks, 35, 126 Front Street, pleaded guilty to two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, after a plea agreement was reached with prosecutors. Morgan said that as a result of the agreement, Marks was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He may become eligible for parole in about seven or eight years, Morgan said, though parole may or may not be granted.

Carlton Marks, no age or address available, also entered into a plea agreement and was sentenced to 20 years for one count of delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine. Five years of the sentence will be suspended if he completes a vocational program while in prison. If he does not, the full 20 year sentence stands.

Morgan said Childres began the operation after receiving multiple complaints and seeing what he believed to be drug activity in the city.

"Don conceived a problem, and he got a plan together," Morgan said.

The plan involved two women from Gurdon who were known to law enforcement officials as probable drug users.

The women were sent out to buy drugs with money given to them for the operation. Morgan said that once the women were dropped off to walk to their targets, Gurdon police officers never lost eye contact with the women. This ensures that they did not purchase drugs from anyone except the "targets."

Morgan said the two local women were used in the undercover operation because "people who deal in drugs will not sell to someone they don't know as a user."

Once the transaction was made between the women and the seller, the drugs were given to the Gurdon police to be used as evidence. Police did not immediately arrest the person who made the sale. Morgan said doing so would "burn" the informant, and that same informant would not be able to work in another police operation. To make an arrest at a later date, police had to obtain warrants.

Morgan said that Terrence Darnell Marks and Carlton Marks may have plead guilty because of Leotis Sims' jury trail on the same charges. Sims was also arrested as a result of the undercover operation and was previously sentenced to 60 years in prison. He will become eligible for parole after serving 20 years.

Chauncey Charles pleaded not guilty last week, and his plea was affirmed by a jury after a trial that took up most of the week. Morgan said Charles was charged with two counts of delivery of a controlled substance, crack cocaine, within the boundaries of a school, church or day care center. The law adds an extra ten years to each count that occurs within the boundaries of these places.

Morgan said he does not question the decision of juries when they find a defendant not guilty. He did note that the jury may have had some problems believing the testimony of the two women who made the buys since they were known drug users.

There are "several more" cases to try which stemmed from the 2005 undercover operation, Morgan said. "Our idea is to eradicate - as much as possible - the drug activity in Clark County."

Morgan also praised Childres for his efforts in the operation.