Law enforcement officers on Thursday performed a tactical raid on a residence on Second Avenue in West Logan.
Shopkeepers and bystanders looked on as lawmen loaded up shotguns and went into the home bringing out suspects believed to be involved in drug activity.
Shawn Dewayne Jackson, 27, of Detroit, was arrested by West Virginia State Police troopers Kuhn and Powers for possession of a controlled substance on April 29. Jackson was booked at the Southwestern Regional Jail at Holden at 4:45 p.m.
Melvin Jewel Carver, 32, of Detroit, was arrested by Tpr. J.L. Joyce for possession of a controlled substance and obstructing an officer on April 29. Carver was booked at the regional jail at 4:45 p.m.
Reportedly, the officers believe some of the contraband inside the home may have been flushed down the toilet when the residents were tipped off that the cops were coming.
West Logan Police Chief Robert Ward said law enforcement agencies had been watching the residence from which the two men were taken for several months due to allegations of drug activity.
"These were two guys from Michigan who apparently were not in here to ride the Hatfield-McCoy Trails," Ward said. "They had been here for awhile and officers with several agencies were keeping an eye on them towards making an arrest."
According to police reports, Carver was under investigation as a result of a search for drugs in the residence and he reportedly told officers his name was Marco Cavers.
"Several corners of ripped sandwich bags containing a white powdery residue were found throughout the residence," the report states. "A crackpipe was also found."
The other complaint states that the officers performed a consented search of the residence on Second Avenue and located a residual amount of what appeared to be cocaine near Jackson.
The arrest also led to more drug busts in the Omar area the following day and some law enforcement officers believe the accused dealers in West Logan may have been traveling and working with other people in different areas of Logan County.
Tracy Lavance Watt, 26, of Detroit, was arrested by Troopers J.K. Harris and J.J. Weaver for possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy and obstructing an officer on April 30. Watt was booked at the regional jail at 2:39 a.m.
Gary Dale Wilson, 48, of Lorado, was arrested by troopers Harris and Weaver for possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance on April 30. Wilson was booked at the regional jail at 2:39 p.m.
Melinda Dawn Lusk, 24, of Cyclone, was arrested by troopers Harris and Weaver for possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy and obstructing on April 30. Lusk was booked at the regional jail at 2:39 p..
According to police reports, the officers received tips about illegal drug activity at Wilson’s home in Omar and obtained consent to search his residence.
During the search, the officers reportedly obtained a small plastic bag containing a white powdery substance believed to be cocaine, several prescription pain pills to include oxycontin and loratab and multiple items of drug paraphernalia. The aforementioned narcotics allegedly belonged to Watt, Wilson and Lusk. Additionally, Lusk provided false information to Tpr. Harris concerning drug activity at her residence, the report stated.
The arrest was the talk of West Logan for days, Ward noted.
"We have some shady characters around here who think that the police are not watching them,” Ward said. “What they don't understand is that it takes time to get warrants and make a case for court and that often the people who think they are skating by scott free don't realize that they are the stars in one of these investigative efforts.”
Ward said it was not uncommon in the past for drug dealers from Detroit and Columbus to travel to southern West Virginia and eastern Kentucky to swap cocaine and crack for pain pills or marijuana, which are more difficult to obtain in other states.
"That could be what was happening here too," he said. "These days the different law enforcement agencies work well together to catch people. Just because I don't arrest you today, or the deputies don't arrest you today or the troopers don't arrest you today doesn't mean the (US 119 Drug and Violent Crime) task force or some other agency won't get you tomorrow."
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