‘Taking Care of Business’

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 18, 2008

A weekend operation netted 144 charges.

Under the direction of Alcohol Law Enforcement Officer Brandon Lanier and Hertford County Sheriff’s Office Captain Raymond Eure, Operation Taking Care of Business was a two-day event that involved dozens of law enforcement officers and several departments.

North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement, Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, Ahoskie Police Department, Murfreesboro Police Department, Division of Community Corrections, North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation worked together to make 110 arrests and file 144 charges.

“It was a combined effort of all the agencies,” Hertford County Sheriff Juan Vaughan said. “They did an outstanding job of slowing down the sale of drugs in the county. I’m also pleased with the traffic charges we were able to file.”

Eleven people now face drug-related charges from the operation which took place throughout Hertford County. They include:

Dwayne Doment Warren, 23, of Pine Street in Ahoskie who is charged with one count of possession with intent to sell and deliver crack cocaine; one count of simple possession of crack cocaine; one count of possessing drug paraphernalia and one count of resist, obstruct and delay of an officer. He was placed under a $31,000 secured bond in the Hertford County Detention Center;

Andrew Burney, 32, of Browny Road in Kinston was placed under a $1,000 secured bond after being charged with simple possession of marijuana;

Tamika Nichelle Genza, 30, of Lester Lane in Richmond, Va. is charged with simple possession of marijuana. She was placed under a $1,000 secured bond;

Taniesha Latoya Davis, 28, of Peters Street in Richmond, Va. was placed under a $50,000 secured bond. She is charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin; and simple possession of marijuana;

Ashley Janelle Spruill, 24, of Price Street in Elizabeth City was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia; and allow an unlicensed person to drive.

Five Massachusetts men were each charged with possession of a Schedule II narcotic (powder cocaine) and each placed under a $20,000 secured bond. They were Emily Velez, 33, Emmauel Navedo, 23, and William James Calkins, 53, all of Springfield, Randy Merceri, 40, of Palmer and Shawn M. Lamb, 25, of Monson.

There were also a host of alcohol violations, including giving alcohol to a minor, aiding and abetting in the purchase of alcohol, possession of an alcoholic beverage by a 19- or 20-year-old, possession of alcoholic beverage under age, purchase of alcohol by a minor, selling alcohol to a minor, consumption on off-premises establishment, unauthorized possession of spirituous liquor, allowing unauthorized conduct on a licensed premise, driving after consuming with open container, displaying a fake ID, open container and transport with a broken seal.

Traffic charges include four Driving While Impaired charges, driving while license revoked, no insurance, no operator’s license, allowing unlicensed driver to drive, fictitious registration, vehicle inspection violations and expired registration.

“I appreciate everyone who took part in this operation,” Vaughan said. “We will continue to work together to make our county safer and to stop the sale of drugs in Hertford County.”