AULANDER – Three people have been arrested and charged with felony drug crimes following what police are calling a lengthy investigation and surveillance of one Aulander suspect.

That suspect, Alton Larshon Whitaker, 28, of 405 Chestnut St., Aulander, received charges from both Bertie and Northampton county authorities after officers served warrants for his arrest Tuesday.

&uot;We have been watching Mr. Whitaker for almost a year,&uot; stated Aulander Police Chief Jimmy Barmer. &uot;We finally got a break in the case when Woodland Police Chief Don Ryan was able to obtain a warrant for Whitaker’s arrest; and this led to more charges and to a couple of other people being arrested as well.&uot;

The other two people arrested are Kelvin Brown, 23, of Rt. 2 Box 54 F, Conway; and Ronald Taylor Jr., 20, of 303 Sycamore St., Aulander.

&uot;Once the warrant was obtained by Chief Ryan, we went to Whitaker’s residence to place him under arrest,&uot; said Det. Sgt. Frank Timberlake of the Narcotics Division of the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office.

&uot;When Chief Barmer went to place him under arrest, a fight broke out and the two, along with Det. Kenny Gilliam (BCSO Narcotics Division) got into a scuffle down the hallway leading to the bedroom area,&uot; Timberlake added.

&uot;We later obtained a search warrant of the residence and in that bedroom found a fully loaded .45 caliber handgun that was cocked and loaded (ready to fire),&uot; Timberlake said.

Once the officers had Whitaker in custody, Barmer stated the suspect was searched.

&uot;We found approximately three grams of what we believed to be crack cocaine, a bag of marijuana that appeared to be packaged and ready for sale and about $507 of U.S. currency.

&uot;This lead to us obtaining the search warrant for the residence,&uot; Barmer continued. &uot;Once that warrant was served, we discovered about a half pound or more of marijuana and an additional $1,147 in U.S. currency,&uot; he said.

The other suspects, Brown and Taylor, were in the residence when the original warrant was served and once the search warrant was served, both were searched.

&uot;We found what we believed to be marijuana that was packaged for sale and about $300 in U.S. currency from Brown’s 2002 Nissan Maxima. We also seized the vehicle.

&uot;In addition, we confiscated approximately $450 off his person,&uot; Timberlake said.

&uot;In searching Taylor, we confiscated approximately $410 off his person,&uot; Timberlake added.

All three suspects were taken to the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office in Windsor where they were processed and booked.

Whitaker was charged with felonious possession with intent to sell or deliver crack cocaine; felonious possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana; and resist, obstruct and delay an officer.

He was placed under a $150,000 cash bond.

In addition, Whitaker received charges of assault on a law enforcement official with a deadly weapon; resist, obstruct and delay and officer; and felony speed too elude arrest from the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office. A $20,000 cash bond was set on these charges.

Brown was charged with felonious possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana and felonious maintaining a vehicle as a place to keep, store or sell marijuana. He was placed under a $50,000 cash bond.

Taylor was charged with felonious possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana. He was placed under a $20,000 cash bond.

All three suspects were still in Bertie-Martin Regional Jail as of Friday afternoon.