Lesson goes unlearned
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 30, 2007
AHOSKIE – Apparently, the initial lesson was not learned.
An Ahoskie man was arrested twice over an 11-day span for possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver.
Ahoskie Police Chief Troy Fitzhugh reported that Anthony Jamel Powell, 20, of 212 Hill Street was first arrested on May 19 by APD Sgt. Andres Snape.
Sgt. Snape was on routine patrol in the area of Rhue and Richard streets when he noticed an individual (Powell), on foot, that he was looking to interview on another case. Snape circled the block in his patrol car, at which time he saw the individual walking towards Hayes and Pine streets.
“Sgt. Snape exited his vehicle and called out to Mr. Powell,” Fitzhugh said. “Mr. Powell had a yellow shirt with white stripes draped over his shoulders and neck, which he dropped after being called out by Sgt. Snape.”
Fitzhugh said when Sgt. Snape asked Powell why he dropped the shirt, Powell was reported as saying, “what shirt.”
Sgt. Snape then retrieved the shirt. After unfolding, he discovered a bag containing green, leafy matter. That bag was later determined as containing 12 grams of the substance.
Sgt. Snape arrested Powell for possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver. Powell was taken to the Hertford County Jail under a $10,000 secured bond.
Eleven days later (May 30) Sgt. Snape was patrolling the 500 block of Hill Street. As he was passing one residence, Snape reported he detected the strong odor of marijuana. He parked and exited his patrol vehicle, approaching three individuals sitting on a parked vehicle located in the yard of a residence.
Assisted by APD Officer Chris Copeland, Snape questioned the three individuals, one of which was Powell. The other two individuals were Jacques Cornellius Holloman, 22, of 512 Hill Street and 18-year-old Ti’shone Dihu Askew of 510 Hill Street.
All three individuals gave consent to search their person. Only Powell was found in possession of a substance as Chief Fitzhugh reported that Officer Copeland discovered a marijuana and tobacco mixture in Powell’s pants pocket.
Meanwhile, Snape searched the immediate area of the vehicle. He noticed a baseball cap on the hood of the vehicle. He picked-up the cap, discovering a bag of potato chips underneath. Inside the bag was a clear plastic bag containing several smaller baggies, each containing a green, leafy substance, totaling 26 grams.
“No one claimed that the bags belonged to them, but we charged all three with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and deliver,” Chief Fitzhugh said.
Each was jailed under a $25,000 secured bond and will have their first appearances in court tomorrow (June 1).
“I commend both officers for a job well done,” Chief Fitzhugh said. “They were able to quickly assess the situation, perform field investigative work and, most importantly, were able to make these arrests without incident in a high crime area.”
Fitzhugh closed by saying, “We will not tolerate the sale or possession of any type of illegal drugs here in Ahoskie. We will continue to actively seek out and arrest those who choose to do so.”