Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Area Policy Agencies Make Drug Bust

Deputies with the Nevada County Sheriff's Office have been busy making drug arrests during the past week.

Monday, Jan. 19, at about 10 p.m., the NCSO, working with the Prescott Police Department and South Central Drug Task Force, executed a raid on the home of John A. Nolen, 20, of Prescott.

Information that drugs were being sold out of the residence on East Fourth Street was developed by Sheriff Steve Otwell. A warrant was obtained from Municipal Judge Gene Hale, and the raid was planned.

Officers with the agencies converged on the house, gaining entry and finding an undisclosed quantity of a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana, along with an undetermined amount of cash.

A female in the residence at the time was questioned and released, but is still under investigation, according to Jim Westmoreland, criminal investigator for the NCSO and PPD.

Nolen, he said, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia. Both charges are class D felonies.

DOMESTIC ABUSE

Billy R. Johnson, 19, of Blevins was charged with a series of crimes Monday, Jan. 19, as officers were preparing for the drug raid.

Westmoreland said NCSO auxiliary deputy David Crews was on patrol when he noticed a domestic altercation in progress. When he attempted to intervene, the suspect, Johnson, reportedly became combative and was able to get into his vehicle. He then reportedly chased his wife, who was in her vehicle at the time, ramming it and forcing it into a ditch.

Chief Deputy Wayne Kisselburg and deputy Wally Hulan arrived to assist Crews. Johnson was arrested and charged with terroristic threatening in the first degree, a class D felony, aggravated assault, also a class D felony, domestic battering in the third degree and third degree battery.

When he went before Eighth Judicial District Judge Joe Griffin for his first appearance, Johnson was ordered to enter an alcohol rehabilitation program, have no contact with the victim (his wife) and is only allowed to enter Nevada County to go to court. He was then released on $5,000 bond.

DRUG ARRESTS

Deputy David Bryant, the NCSO K-9 officer, got a two-fer Saturday, Jan. 24.

While on patrol, he made a routine traffic stop on a vehicle with two men inside.

He determined one of the occupants, Mark Smyth, 44, of Little Rock, had a bench warrant on him from Hempstead County for probation violation, and placed him under arrest.

Both suspects were removed from the vehicle, with it then being searched. Bryant found a small amount of a green, leafy substance believed to be marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.

Gary Simpson, 32, of Alexander, the other suspect, was then placed under arrest.

The two have been charged with possession of a controlled substance of less than one ounce, which is a misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a felony. Smyth was also charged with probation violation.

Both men were taken to the Nevada County jail where they were held as of press time.