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Drugs and weapons seized during Virginia narcotics sweep

A multi-agency narcotics operation in Virginia on Jan. 22 resulted in five individuals being taken into custody and the seizure of guns and illegal drugs according to the Amelia County Sheriff’s Office. All five suspects were being detained at the Piedmont Regional Jail at the time of the report.

The arrests were made when deputies, agents and troopers executed search warrants at properties on Amelia Springs Road and Military Highway in Amelia County. Initial reports do not reveal what led law enforcement to believe that the properties were being used to manufacture, store and distribute illegal narcotics, but they do indicate that undisclosed quantities of controlled substances and several firearms were seized. Deputies from the ACSO were assisted during the operation by Virginia State Police troopers and agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The most significant arrest was of a 34-year-old Moseley man who has been charged with felony counts of gun possession and possession of a controlled substance with the intent to manufacture or sell and a misdemeanor count of petit larceny. He is also accused of forging public records in Buckingham County, felony extortion in Chesterfield County, providing false information to law enforcement, and driving with a revoked driver’s license. The other suspects face charges including drug possession and drug possession with the intent to distribute. The ACSO says that its investigation is ongoing and further arrests are expected.

Law enforcement often casts a very wide net during drug sweeps like this one, but the evidence gathered when search warrants are executed may not be enough to prove drug possession or drug distribution charges against all of the suspects taken into custody. This is why attorneys with criminal defense experience could advise suspects to refuse to answer questions and ask to speak with a lawyer. A defense attorney could assess the strength of the prosecutor’s case and then recommend an appropriate course of action.

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