High-level drug trafficking charges

A multi-county drug trafficking investigation dubbed Operation Narcan resulted in a series of arrests in Cherokee County on Feb. 22, including two individuals charged with “high-level trafficking” of fentanyl.

Operation Narcan led to arrest warrants for 10 individuals – eight whom were taken into custody, while two had medical issues that required hospitalization, according to Lt. Drew Payne of the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators from Cherokee, Clay and Graham counties conducted search warrants at four separate residences stretching from Murphy to Marble.

The largest quantities of drugs and guns came from a residence on Old Ranger Road in Murphy, where officers seized 30.9 grams of fentanyl, 11 grams of methamphetamine, 65 Suboxone strips and 14 firearms. Another 13 grams of heroin and a small amount of meth were seized from a Marble residence, where Lenessa Shenee Stroud had to be hospitalized after cutting her leg while attempting to jump through a trap door in the floor, Payne said.

“Since then, all four of those people (arrested at that home) have been hospitalized because of what we assume is detox (complications),” Payne said. “I’ve never seen anybody in the shape they were in all the years I’ve been working, I’ve never seen anybody that bad. They were using large amounts of heroin daily, and I imagine coming off that amount of heroin and or fentanyl, it’s going to have a bad side effect, and it clearly (did).”

Mohammed Saeed Munshi, 31, of Murphy, was arrested at Old Ranger Road and faces the most serious and extensive charges, including high-level trafficking of fentanyl, 14 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and conspiracy to sell meth. Munshi received a $130,000 secured bond.

 

Payne said a high-level trafficking charge is applied in cases involving anything more than 28 grams of a schedule 1 controlled substance. This bust is one of only a handful of cases that have resulted in such a trafficking charge in Cherokee County in the last two years; investigators had been working on Operation Narcan since late last year.

“This successful operation can be attributed to the invaluable information provided by our citizens, and combining efforts with our neighboring counties law enforcement agencies which enabled us to pool resources, information and leads to locate some extremely dangerous drugs and illegally possessed firearms,” Chief Deputy Joe Wood said in a release.

“These were not street-level traffickers just getting into the game; rather, they have been in it for some time.”

The following people were arrested during Operation Narcan: 47 Maltby Road in Marble – Seized during the search warrant were 13 grams of heroin and a small amount of meth.

39-year-old Kayla Renee Stroud, Marble. Charged with sell/deliver Schedule I drug (heroin), two counts; trafficking heroin, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver heroin; possession of meth; $80,000 secured bond.

 

32-year-old Eric Michael Stephens, Hayesville. Charged with trafficking heroin; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver heroin; possession of a firearm by felon; $65,000 secured bond.

 

 

32-year-old Michael Dewayne Young, Marble. Charged with trafficking heroin; possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver heroin; maintain dwelling; possession of meth; $65,000 secured bond.

 

 

Lenessa Shenee Stroud, Marble. Outstanding warrants for trafficking heroin, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver heroin; possession of firearm by felon; unserved.

78 Terrace Ave. in Murphy – Seized during the search warrant were 23 Subutex pills and a small amount of meth.

 

34-year-old Royce Martin Pouncey, Blairsville, Ga. Charged with possession meth; sell/deliver meth; conspiracy to sell Schedule III controlled substance; $12,500 secured bond.

 

 

 

Jessica A. Molina, Blairsville, Ga. Outstanding warrants for possession of meth; sell/deliver Schedule III drug; conspiracy to sell meth; unserved.

23 Fort Butler St. in Murphy – Seized during the search warrant were 14.8 grams of meth.

 

50-year-old Tracey Leveane Dockery, Murphy. Charged with sell/deliver meth; maintain a dwelling, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver meth; simple possession Schedule III controlled substance; $20,000 secured bond.

 

42-year-old Barron Jermel Sudderth, Murphy. Charged with possession of meth; $2,500 secured bond.

1224 Old Ranger Road in Murphy – Seized during the search were 11 grams meth, 30.9 grams of Fentanyl, 65 Suboxone strips and 14 firearms.

 

31-year-old Mohammed Saeed Munshi, Murphy. Charged with high-level trafficking Fentanyl, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver heroin meet, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver Schedule III; possession of firearm by felon, 14 counts; sell/deliver Schedule I (two counts); conspiracy to sell meth; $130,000 secured bond.

 

36-year-old Samantha Lynn Bailey, Murphy. Charged with high-level trafficking Fentanyl, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver meth, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver Schedule III; conspiracy to sell meth; sell/deliver Schedule I controlled substance (two counts); $60,000 secured bond.

As of Feb. 23, Stroud, Stephens, Young, Pouncey, Dockery, Munshi and Bailey remained incarcerated at the Cherokee County Detention Center in Murphy. Sudderth posted a secure bond. At large are Lenessa Stroud and Jessica Molina, who have charges pending.

To report suspicious activity and suspect violations of the law, call 837-1344 or email crime.tips@cherokeecounty-nc.gov.