A two-year investigation into gun and drug trafficking nearly wrapped up Wednesday morning as officers and federal agents swept Clark County looking for 20 suspects.
Winchester Police Capt. James Hall said the arrests were the result of a joint investigation between Winchester Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Other suspects were taken into federal custody on indictment warrants, he said, and were not included in the local arrest totals.
Hall said the suspects included low-, mid- and high-level drug dealers, but they were not linked to other cities and did not appear to be part of an organized group with one person in charge, he said. There were loose affiliations between them, which amounted to “a type of organized crime,” he said.
During the course of the investigation, officers and agents confiscated approximately $50,000 in drugs and 19 firearms. Hall said they confiscated everything from handguns to assault rifles. Some of them were obtained through covert buys, he said, and some had been stolen from Winchester.
“Most (of the firearms) were picked up on the buys from these individuals,” Hall said. “We picked up a couple guns yesterday.
“If it means buying the guns from these individuals (to get them off the street), that’s what we’ll do. Most of these guns were purchased in conjunction with drugs.”
Hall said the investigation and arrests were divided evenly between drug offenses and firearm charges.
Hall said about 50 officers and agents from Winchester Police, ATF, DEA and the U.S. Marshals participated in Wednesday’s sweep. Hall said most of the suspects were in custody within about three hours. Several more suspects, though, are still at large.
“We have some more arrests pending,” Hall said. “We have about 10 more we are looking for on state charges.”
He said federal authorities are looking for others, who have already been indicted in federal court.
Winchester Police Chief Kevin Palmer said he was “overjoyed” with the success of the operation.
“It has bothered me that it may be perceived that we were not truly impacting the drug trade,” Palmer said in a statement. “As law enforcement, we understand the clandestine nature of this type of project but as this city’s chief, I want citizens to feel confident that we are working hard for the community.”
The 18 suspects identified by Winchester Police were:
— Dwain Howard, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first-degree promoting contraband.
— Tra Ley, 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Javonte Briscoe, 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Reginald Knowles, 33, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Steeve Alexis, 22, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, parole violation.
— Cedrick Clark, 23, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, flagrant non-support.
— Christopher Gipson, 20, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Shammah Israel, 31, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
—Heng Ly, 27, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Corey Nance, 36, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Ward Simmons, 57, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, criminal possession of a forged instrument, prole violation, possession of drug paraphernalia.
— Dominic Simmons, 27, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
— Deonte Skinner, 22, first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
Details were not available about Brian Clark, Andre Durgan, Antonio Hooten and Pamela Oliver, who were also charged in connection with the investigation. Hall said Dwight Cook is still at large.
Contact Fred Petke at fpetke@winchestersun.com.
