The county’s Special Investigations Division scared up seven more drug suspects over the past five days, jailing them on a plethora of charges ranging from trafficking in cocaine to possession of that drug, along with possession of marijuana and a laundry list of other similar offenses.
It was all part of the ongoing Operation Scarecrow, a six-month long undercover operation now culminating in the arrest of suspects across the county.
Sheriff’s Cpl. Marcus Smith said the seven arrested since last Thursday, plus two others arrested earlier last week, are the first of many suspects expected to be hauled in as part of the operation.
“This has just begun,” Smith said last week. “All of the buys that the agents made during the investigation are now at a point where warrants are being served.”
Operation Scarecrow, which placed undercover agents in positions to purchase drugs from suspected dealers, came about, Sampson County Sheriff’s officials said, because of citizen complaints of illegal activity in their communities.
“The people called in and reported it and the agents went out there and did their job,” Smith said last week. “This was not limited to one area of the county; it was across our area.”
Ironically, when warrants were executed and suspects were taken into custody, Smith said in some cases additional drugs were seized.
“We had warrants based on undercover buys, but when the officers went to make arrests, they were able to confiscate drugs that were unrelated to the initial warrants.”
Among those arrested since last Thursday were:
• Brandon Jahid Lewis, 22, 148 Greentree Lane, Clinton. He was charged with 2 counts sell and deliver cocaine; 6 counts of trafficking in cocaine; 1 count possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver and 1 count possession drug paraphernalia. In addition to the charges, officers seized 1,130 grams of marijuana and 63 grams of cocaine when he was arrested. Bond was set at $300,000. His initial trial date has been set for Oct. 12.
• Deron C. McIntyre, 22, 72 Caper Walk, Clinton. He was charged with 2 counts sell and deliver cocaine; 3 counts trafficking cocaine. In addition to the charges, 30 grams of cocaine was seized at the time of his arrest. Bond was set at $165,000 and a trial date of Oct. 12 was given.
• Terrence Lee Faison, 35, 34 Gill Lane, Clinton. He was charged with 1 count possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine; maintaining a dwelling for the sell of a controlled substance; possession of drug paraphernalia. In addition to the charges, 91 units of crack, 88.2 grams of cocaine and 6 grams of cocaine were seized at the time of his arrest. He was placed under a $50,000 bond and given a trial date of Oct. 26.
• Donnie Hooks, 49, 17 Harper St., Clinton. He was charged with 2 counts selling cocaine and 2 counts deliver cocaine. He was jailed under a $28,000 bond and a court date of Oct. 12 was set.
• Matthew Joyner, 45, 93 Harper St., Clinton. He was charged with 2 counts sell/deliver cocaine and placed under a $14,000 bond. His court date was set for Oct. 12.
• Derrick Cornelius Conley, 25, 140 Rainbow Lane, Roseboro. He turned himself in to officers and was charged with 1 count of selling marijuana and 1 count of delivering marijuana. He was jailed under a $14,000 bond and a Oct. 26 court date was set.
• Tyronne Gerald Bailey, 26, 225 Brantwood Court, Roseboro, was charged with 2 counts selling marijuana, 2 counts deliver marijuana; 2 counts maintaining a vehicle/dwelling for the sell of a controlled substance. He was jailed under a $50,000 bond and given a court date of Oct. 12.













