HAMLET — In an ongoing effort to rid the streets of drugs, investigators have arrested and charged four men with selling weed.
Following an undercover buy, with help from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Hamlet police arrested 47-year-old Clarence Anthonie Zeigler, of Rose Street in Dobbins Heights, on May 5.
He is charged with one felony count each of: selling or delivering a Schedule VI controlled substance; possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana; maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance. He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia of allegedly having a set of scales and cigar wrappers.
Zeigler was booked into the Richmond County Jail under a $7,500 secured bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
On May 8, investigators arrested and charged 18-year-old Jaylan Ingram, of Ivy Trail in East Rockingham, and 20-year-old Chad Andrew Phillips, of Dave Kings Road, northwest of Rockingham, for allegedly selling pot out of truck at the car wash across from Convenience Corner in Hamlet, according to an arrest report.
Investigators say the pair also had grinders, pipes and cigar wrappers.
Ingram is charged with two felony counts each of: possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana; maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance and conspiracy to sell or deliver marijuana.
Phillips is charged with two counts each of conspiracy to sell or deliver marijuana and maintaining a vehicle, dwelling or place for a controlled substance.
They are both charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
Ingram and Phillips were each jailed under a $20,000 secured bond and are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
The same day, police arrested 27-year-old Christopher Stewart McDonald, of Thomas Street in Hamlet, and charged him with one count each of selling or delivering a Schedule VI controlled substance and conspiracy to sell or deliver a Schedule VI controlled substance.
McDonald was jailed under a $10,000 secured bond. He is also scheduled to appear in court on Thursday.
The arrests are the continuation of a narcotics investigation that netted 18 arrests in March — including a mother and son allegedly caught with more than 19 pounds of pot — and three arrests in April on cocaine charges.
Following a vehicle stop for speeding on April 27, police also charged 53-year-old Paula Marie Bledsoe with a felony count of possession a Schedule II controlled substance for allegedly having a small amount of crack cocaine. She was also charged with simple possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia, both misdemeanors, according to an arrest report.
Bledsoe is also facing a traffic infraction for speeding and is due in court June 29.
According to records with the N.C. Department of Public Safety Division of Adult Correction, Zeigler was previously convicted on charges of both selling and possessing a Schedule II controlled substance in Richmond County and Bledsoe was convicted of possession with intent to sell a Schedule IV controlled substance in Brunswick County.
All defendants facing criminal charges are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
Reach William R. Toler at 910-817-2675 and follow him on Twitter @William_r_toler.