Washington County traffic stop leads to four drug arrests | News, Sports, Jobs

Washington County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Mark Warden, left, speaks at a news conference Friday morning about a drug arrest made Thursday that involved a quarter pound of methamphetamine and a quarter pound of fentanyl carried out by Deputy Justin Peters, right. Peters used a dog, Timmy, on the ground to find the drugs during the traffic stop. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

MARIETTA — The Washington County Sheriff’s Office arrested four people from the Akron-Canton area Thursday during a traffic stop for possession of a quarter pound each of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

At a WCSO press conference on the case Friday morning, WCSO Chief Deputy Mark Warden said the traffic stop was conducted by Deputy Justin Peters for a turn signal violation.

The vehicle had Texas license plates and did not use a turn signal while traveling in the area of ​​Seventh Street in Pioneer Township. Peters stopped the vehicle and asked the driver, Kolia Lakrysal Garret, 21, Akron, for her license, insurance and vehicle registration, according to a WCSO news release.

Peters said that during the stop, he identified the occupants of the vehicle as being from the Akron-Canton area. “which we know is a source city for narcotics” and while Garrett was trying to feed him his information, he ran with his canine partner, Timmy, and the dog was alerted to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle.

According to the release, Peters and other WCSO members conducted a search of the vehicle, which revealed 111.19 grams of methamphetamine and 108.87 grams of suspected fentanyl. Peters said at the news conference that they found a bag of blue fentanyl and a bag of methamphetamine in the back seat of the car, in the floor, as well as a bag of white fentanyl in the trunk, under a spare wheel.

Pictured is a quarter pound of meth and two different colored bags of fentanyl totaling a quarter pound. The drugs were discovered during a traffic stop by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and led to the arrests of three women and one man from the Akron-Canton area. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

“As a result of this traffic stop, a quarter pound of methamphetamine and a quarter pound of fentanyl were seized from the vehicle,” » Warden said during the press conference.

According to the release, Garrett was arrested and charged with a first-degree felony charge of possession of fentanyl and a second-degree felony charge of drug possession and her bond was set at $150,000.

Two passengers in the car, Shyann Nicole McLeod, 23, Canton, and Myonna Jenee Boykins, 20, Akron, were each indicted on a first-degree criminal charge of possession of fentanyl and a second-degree criminal charge of drug possession and their bail was set at $150,000 each. The third passenger, Roland Marshall Reddick, 28, of Canton, was charged with first-degree felony possession of fentanyl, first-degree felony drug trafficking, second-degree felony possession of drugs and a second crime. -degree felony drug trafficking and his bond was set at $250,000.

The blue and white fentanyl found in the vehicle is the same, Peters said, but the color of the drug depends on what you put in it. He said sometimes food coloring is used to change the color of fentanyl and that the sheriff’s office has previously found blue, pink and purple fentanyl.

“It’s marketing” said the director.

Also present at the press conference were WCSO Criminal Division Deputy Director Eric Hunter and Maj. Brian Rhodes.

Rhodes emphasized the importance of the dog used in the drug arrest. He added that if the dog had not been used, it was possible the drugs would be sold on the street.

“It’s not like these are drugs that you can smell easily,” » Rhodes said.

Garret, McLeod, Boykins and Reddic were transported to the Washington County Jail, according to the release. Jail records show all four were still in jail as of Friday afternoon.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at [email protected]

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