WINTON – Three men described as “well known drug dealers in Hertford County” were recently arrested on numerous charges.

Sheriff Dexter Hayes said that investigative work by his officers and by agents with the Down East Narcotics Task Force led to search warrants being obtained, which led to the subsequent arrests.

The latest of these arrests came on Friday of last week when a search warrant was served by Task Force agents on 41-year-old Tio Antwione Bishop at his residence on Washington Road, located off US 158 Business near Riverview Elementary School in Murfreesboro.

There, law enforcement officers found Bishop in possession of 30 grams of crack and powder cocaine as well as 104 dosage units of Xanax.

Bishop was charged with trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, and possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver a Schedule IV controlled substance. All of those charges are felonies.

He also faces five other felony charges – two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count each of possession of a stolen firearm, maintaining a dwelling to store controlled substances, and possession of control substances less than 1,000 feet from a school.

Bishop was jailed under a $250,000 secured bond and was scheduled to make his first appearance in Hertford County District Court on Tuesday of this week to answer to those charges.

Two others were arrested last month on drug charges.

Ikeshaw Tyrell Bynum, 28, of Rogers Street, Ahoskie, was taken into custody on Feb. 21 at his residence and charged with felonious possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, felony maintaining a dwelling to store controlled substances, and misdemeanor counts of simple possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bynum was held under a $20,000 secured bond and made his first court appearance on Feb. 23.

On Feb. 15, Darrell Lamont Fennell, 40, of Arthur Majette Road near Aulander was arrested at his residence and charged with trafficking cocaine, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, and maintaining a dwelling to store controlled substances. All of those charges are felonies.

Fennell was held under a $40,000 secured bond and made his first court appearance on Feb. 16.

“I was very pleased with the effort put forth in these cases by the Narcotics Task Force agents who worked very closely with my deputies,” said Sheriff Hayes. “I feel that we are making a dent in the sale and distribution of illegal drugs here in Hertford County and I promise that we will continue to suppress this type of criminal activity.”