MURFREESBORO – An Aulander man found the inside of the Hertford County Jail to be the place to celebrate the New Year after a search warrant turned up what officers stated was cocaine.

At 12:30 p.m. Dec. 31, Lt. Joe Burgess of the Murfreesboro Police Department and the County-City Narcotics Unit, served a search warrant at 915 E. Main St., Murfreesboro.

There, officers arrested Thornell Powell Jr., 25, of Aulander.

Powell was charged with possession with intent to sell or deliver cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The County-City Narcotics Unit was assisted by officers of the Murfreesboro, Winton and Ahoskie Police departments and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office.

Powell was taken to the Murfreesboro Police Department and later transferred to the Hertford County Jail where he was place under a $12,500 secured bond.

&uot;Lt. Burgess did an outstanding job with the investigation into this case,&uot; said Murfreesboro Police Chief Darrell Rowe.

&uot;I am happy to see the Narcotics Unit working so well together,&uot; he added. &uot;There is no doubt this unit will continue to be successful in their hunt for narcotics in the county.&uot;

Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan also commended the officers involved in the investigation and the arrest, commenting, &uot;We have a very seasoned group of officers who make up this Narcotics Unit and as Chief Rowe pointed out, they will continue to make more and more arrests as time goes on.&uot;