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Last updated on Saturday, September 7, 2013
(DAVIESS CO.) - The court documents filed for 14 defendants in Tuesday’s meth bust shows one man is still at-large.
On Tuesday, 14 involved in the ring were arrested by local, state and federal officers. One person, David Merritt, remains at-large. Anyone who knows where Merritt is should call police.
According to police, Merritt, along with Chris Kimmons, Alan Marshall, James Coy and Marcus Newson, are alleged to be the key individuals of the organization. All five, along with Antoin Alston of Long Beach, Calif., have been indicted in federal court with conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of meth.
According to police the investigation started in October 2012 when members of the Evansville DEA task force, along with the sheriff's department and Indiana State Police received "information from cooperating sources."
Based on that information U.S. District Court Judge Richard Young authorized three wiretaps in June 2013.
On June 13, a tap was authorized for a cellphone used by Marshall and a cellphone tap for Merritt was authorized on June 11. A third cellphone tap was authorized on June 27.
The affidavits, filed in Daviess Superior Court, were for those charged under state law. They include Adam Tolbert, Rhonda Lewis, Jennifer Sandoval, Jeffrey Fox and Eunice Lesure, all of Washington. All were arrested on charges of dealing in or conspiracy to distribute meth and were still being held on $500,000 bond. Fox is the only one who has been released on bond.
Police have taped conversations between Tolbert, Lewis and Fox with Marshall and Merritt.
According to court documents, Tolbert, allegedly asked for several ounces of meth so he could sell them.
Lewis, who was employed by Daviess County Rural Water, allegedly used a cellphone owned by the utility company to set up meth deals.
According to police state charges were filed against who they concider low-level drug dealers. Those charged with federal charges are the leaders and main distributors of the drug.
According to police Alston was one of the main suppliers of meth for the organization.
The affidavit states Alston would organize lareg shipments, from seeral ounces to muiltiple pounds of meth, from California and arrange for them to be shipped to Washington.
Merritt and Kimmons, who are leaders in the drug ring, would then get large amounts of the drug from Alston. They would then package the meth into smaller quantities and give it to the mid-level dealer - Marshall, Newson and Coy. They would then break it down into even smaller packages and sell it on the street.
Undercover officers from the Evansville DEA task force were able to buy meth from Marshall.
Leroy Ellis, Washington, was also charged with state conspiracy to distribute meth and when the warrant was served, officers found a significant amount of marijuana. During a search of Ellis home, police found ledger of drug transations and a .40-caliber handgun. His bond was set at $500,000.
Three others, Barbara Kimmons, Haven Ramsey and Ruby Ramsey, were also arrested for federal money laundering charges. The Ramseys reside in Washington.
According to police many of those arrested have perviously been arrested on drug charges in Daviess County.
Many of the individuals arrested Tuesday have previous drug arrests in Daviess County.
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