Last Updated on December 24, 2019 4:19 pm
The Avery County Sheriff’s Office has announced the results of Operation Rattlesnake, an undercover drug operation which has taken place over an eight month period.
Operation Rattlesnake was named as law enforcement is attempting to get those spreading poison out from hiding and brought to the light of justice, according Avery Sheriff Kevin Frye. Multiple agencies took part in the operation and the Avery County Sheriff’s Office notes that it could not have conducted or executed such an operation without the cooperation and assistance of those agencies.
The agencies which assisted were the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office, McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Boone Police Department, Banner Elk Police Department, Beech Mountain Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Operation Rattlesnake has been successful in warrants being taken on 30 different people with over 70 charges being brought thus far. Law enforcement is still trying to apprehend some of those offenders, in the past 24 hours those taken into custody were:
* The charges listed are not a complete list of all charges but are the higher class felonies.
Gary White- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana
Melody Edminson- Trafficking in Opium or Heroin
Kassandra Allen- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances
Johnathan Warren- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule III controlled substances
Joshua Brewer- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X2
Megan Dear- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana X2
Demi Hicks- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule III X3 and possession to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana
Steven McGee- Possession with Intent to Manufacture Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X2
Michael Turbyfill- Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Marijuana
Heather Woodie- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X4
Douglas Metcalf- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II and III controlled substances and Habitual Felon
William Cook- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances
Molly Thomas- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver marijuana and harboring a fugitive.
Tonnie Chandler – Conspire Sell Schedule II Controlled Substances
Wendy Wise Ledford – Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule IV, Habitual Felon
Bridget Mitchell – Conspire Sell Schedule II Controlled Substances
Patricia Zahn- Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule III
