MURFREESBORO – Local law enforcement agencies came-up empty-handed in one regard here earlier this week, but their efforts did not go unrewarded.

A foursome of Murfreesboro men face multiple drug charges; one facing an outstanding warrant filed earlier this month in Northampton County for failure to appear in court.

Duane Boone, 18; William Outlaw, 23; Jaquan Holloman, 19; and Devon Jordan, 20, were each charged with felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to sale, manufacture and deliver marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Each was placed under a $25,000 secured bond and made their first appearance in Northampton County District Court on Thursday.

In the meantime, Boone was served with an outstanding warrant for not appearing in Northampton District Court to answer for the charges of breaking and entering, felony larceny and possession of stolen goods. That bond was $400,000 cash.

All except Jordan, who made bail Tuesday night, remain incarcerated in the Northampton Jail.

According to Northampton County Sheriff’s Sgt. Lynette Clements, the car in which the foursome were riding matched the description of a vehicle thought to be connected to an attempted armed robbery of BB&T Bank in Newsoms, Va. on Tuesday morning.

Sgt. Clements said Woodland Police Officer Christopher Boden spotted that vehicle in his town later on Tuesday.

“The vehicle fit the description of the one involved at the Newsoms attempted bank robbery and Officer Boden began to follow that vehicle,” Sgt. Clements said.

Now assisted by Rich Square Police Chief Bo Roye, Boden tailed the suspect vehicle north on US 258 towards Murfreesboro.

“In the meantime, the Murfreesboro Police and Hertford County Sheriff’s Office were notified of the situation and that the suspect vehicle was headed in their direction,” Sgt. Clements said.

Additionally, a Northampton County Sheriff’s deputy was dispatched to the area in which the suspect vehicle was traveling. Sgt. Clements said that deputy was the one who initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle, at which time the suspect car pulled off the road onto the property of a private business located on the outskirts of Murfreesboro near the US 158/258 Bypass.

“At that point, the Boone subject fled on foot,” Sgt. Clements said. “The other three individuals in the vehicle did not attempt to flee.”

Murfreesboro Police Chief Darrell Rowe said his officers – aided by the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office, Rich Square Police Department, Chowan University Police and Hertford County Probation and Parole – set-up a perimeter and assisted in the search for the suspect who fled. Boone was apprehended in the woods a short time later by MPD Lt. Joe Burgess and MPD Sgt. Joe Crisp.

Sgt. Clements said 114 grams of marijuana was found in the car, located under a spare tire.

Early Tuesday evening at the Murfreesboro Police Department, officials with the Southampton County (Va.) Sheriff’s Office interviewed the four men for their possible connection to the Newsoms case. No charges were filed.

According to the Tidewater News in Franklin, Va., at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a person dressed in all black and wearing a ski mask tried to gain entry into the BB&T branch at 22334 General Thomas Highway, Newsoms. The would-be robber, who carried a black bag and displayed an undetermined weapon, was denied entry to the bank and was seen running down Main Street toward the railroad tracks.

Witnesses then spotted the person getting into a dirty blue sedan with no tags, possibly a Chevy Cavalier, which was seen heading south on Main Street.

The same bank was the scene of another attempted bank robbery on Dec. 2. In that case, 32-year-old Richard Eugene Boyce III of Chesapeake was denied entry into the bank and led authorities on a high-speed chase before he eventually pulled over and was arrested on Route 58 near the Route 258 interchange.