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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Great Job....

Alleged Drug Traffickers Arrested

POSTED: 9:02 am EDT October 26, 2010
 
Mount Airy News
Eleven guns and more than a pound of crystallized methamphetamine are in the possession of the Surry County Sheriff’s Office after they were discovered by officers this week. More
This weekend officers arrested four men allegedly connected to a methamphetamine trafficking operation and seized more than a pound of crystallized meth and several firearms.Sheriff Graham Atkinson said his officers received word that Thomas Hernandez and David Patino Hernandez were trafficking in and transporting large quantities of methamphetamine. Officers with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement contributed to the investigation.Surry County officers conducted surveillance on the men. They arrested them Saturday at a business in Elkin. Officers also took into custody Victor Pinzon Martinez, who was in the vehicle with them. The vehicle was searched and found to have a hidden compartment in the dash, which contained more than a pound of crystallized meth.Officers also searched a vehicle in Dobson that Martinez had been spotted near. Around 2 ounces of crystallized meth was found in the vehicle. Officers then went to a house located at 285 Troutman Lane, Mount Airy, where the surveillance had started. There officers arrested Simon Hernandez, father of Thomas Hernandez.Eleven guns were seized at the Troutman Lane residence. Atkinson said the weapons were strategically hidden throughout the house and on the porch. Several of the weapons were assault rifles.“We believe this was being used as a stash house,” Atkinson remarked.He said stash houses used to store drugs are often well guarded. Small quantities of marijuana and drug paraphernalia also were found at the house.Atkinson said the men arrested were new to Sheriff’s Office investigations, but they were found to have connections to some previous investigations.“This was a very well-organized operation,” said Atkinson.Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers had not dealt with these men before, either, but they are now checking to see if all of the men were legally residing in the U.S. Some of the men may have work visas.Atkinson said they still don’t know what the final destination was for the meth. He said the men arrested were the “middle folks” in the operation, not the street dealers but not the leaders.“But we have hurt them with this arrest. We’ve taken out some very valuable players,” Atkinson said.Officers will continue to investigate the trafficking operation.
Mount Airy News
The men arrested were:
  • Thomas Hernandez, 19, of 285 Troutman Lane, Mount Airy, charged with felony trafficking methamphetamine by possession, felony trafficking methamphetamine by transport, felony trafficking methamphetamine by manufacture, felony conspiring to traffic methamphetamine, felony maintaining a drug dwelling, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is $200,000 secured.

  • David Patino Hernandez, 23, of 110 Walden Lane, Ararat, charged with felony trafficking methamphetamine by possession, felony trafficking methamphetamine by transport, felony trafficking methamphetamine by manufacture, felony conspiring to traffick methamphetamine, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is $200,000 secured.

  • Simon Hernandez, 46, of 285 Troutman Lane, Mount Airy, charged with felony possession of methamphetamine, felony possession with intent to sell or deliver marijuana, felony maintaining a drug dwelling, and misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is $100,000 secured.

  • Victor Pinzon Martinez, 19, of 174 Lapis Lane, Elkin, charged with felony trafficking in methamphetamine by possession.

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