Read the original article on the Sampson Independent website.
Three Clinton-area men are behind bars this afternoon, facing a multitude of drug charges related to an ongoing death investigation involving a 49-year-old woman believed to have died from a suspected fentanyl overdose.
Warrants were issued Tuesday for James Bradford, 38, 1200 Taylors Bridge Hwy., Clinton, Dustin Millen, 37, 1200 Taylors Bridget Hwy., Clinton, and Benjamin Rackley, 43, of 50 Quarterhorse Lane, Clinton, with Bradford being taken into custody Tuesday, Nov. 18, and Miller and Rackley jailed earlier today, Nov. 20.
Miller is facing charges of trafficking in Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), possession methamphetamine, maintaining a dwelling for the use or sale of a controlled substance, sell or delivery of a Schedule II controlled substance, conspiracy to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
According to Sampson County Sheriff’s reports, Bradford was charged with trafficking in a Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of methamphetamine, maintaining a dwelling for the use or sale of a controlled substance, possession of stolen property and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Rackley, reports show, was charged with maintaining a dwelling for the use or sale of a controlled substance, sell or deliver of a Schedule II controlled substance (fentanyl), conspiracy to sell or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The arrests come on the heels of a joint operation between the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division, the Special Investigation Division, the Uniform Patrol Division, the Criminal Interdiction Team and the Animal Control unit.
Sampson County Sheriff’s Capt. Marcus Smith noted in a release that a series of three search warrants were issued as a result of that operation, followed by the arrest of the three individuals.
The warrants were obtained, he said, as part of an ongoing probe into the 49-year-old Clinton woman’s death on Nov. 18, one suspected to be tied to a fentanyl overdose.
The victim’s name wasn’t released, but investigators noted that the incident occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 18.
Due to the complexity of overdose-related fatalities, the sheriff’s release noted, investigators were able to act quickly to identify potential sources of narcotics linked to the incident.
Information developed during the investigation, Smith said, that illegal narcotics were being trafficked out of the Taylors Bridge Highway property, leaving officers to establish probable cause for the warrants and a search.
During that search, investigators recovered what Smith called “trafficking quantities” of fentanyl and meth, along with numerous items of drug paraphernalia, including pipes, needles, syringes, metal spoons with residue and packaging material.
Additional items discovered discovered included suspected stolen property, which was also seized.
Smith said additional charges were possible against all three men.
“The Sampson County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to aggressively combating illegal narcotics activity and pursuing justice for those affected,” Sampson Sheriff Jimmy Thornton noted in a release.
All three suspects remain in jail: Bradford under a $100,000 bond; Millen without bond because of unrelated pending charges; and Rackley under a $50,000 secured bond.