Fourteen Members of “Law Enforcement” Charged As Result Of An FBI Drug Sting in North Carolina

February 17, 2017February 17, 2017 Kelly W. Patterson 1251 Views 911 operator, Accountability, Adrienne Moody, Agent John Strong, Antonio Tillmon, confession, cop block, copblock.org, corrections officers, Corruption, Crystal Pierce, Deputy Cory Jackson, Deputy Curtis Boone, Deputy Jason Boone, Deputy Jimmy Pair Jr., Deputy Thomas Jefferson Allen II, Deputy Wardie Vincent Jr., Dishonesty, dispatcher, Drug war, FBI, federal drug sting, Halifax County, Ikeisha Jacobs, Justice System, Kavon Phillips, kelly patterson, Lann Tjuan Clanton, NC, North Carolina, northhampton county nc, northhampton county sheriff, plea deal, police, police accountability, Raleigh, Rocky Mount, sheriff Jack Smith, strike the root, Sue Kamling, Tohsa Dailey, va, Virginia, Virginia Department of Corrections, War on (Some) Drugs, war on drugs, Windsor City

Earlier this week, it was announced that after a two year long drug sting involving the FBI a total of fourteen members of law enforcement have been charged with drug crimes, including eleven within the state of North Carolina. According to WRAL-TV, all of the arrestees from North Carolina have confessed since being arrested. It wasn’t clear if that was part of a plea deal or if they simply chose to confess (my money is on door #1).

The arrests for charges related to cocaine and heroin included eight current or former police officers, three correctional officers, two Virginia prison employees, and one 911 dispatcher. The dispatcher, as well as all eight of the law enforcement officers except one work or had worked for the Northampton County (NC) Sheriff’s Office. That includes five current and two former NCSO deputies.

Via WSPA News 7:

Thomas Walker, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District, said multiple people were arrested in a major sting of cocaine and heroin operations. Those arrested include five current members of the Northampton County sheriff’s office.

They were charged with trafficking cocaine and heroin up and down the I-95 corridor.

On Wednesday in court, prosecutors showed photos and video of alleged wrong-doing, WRAL reported.

“They all gave some sort of confession,” a prosecutor told the judge, according to the TV station. “Each of these defendants admitted to their involvement.”

Nine of the officers were not granted bail on Wednesday because the judge said he needed more time to review the case, according to WRAL.

Walker said there were arrests at an airport in Halifax County and a warehouse in Rocky Mount. A second group was arrested at a warehouse in Rocky Mount. The undercover operation, called “Operation Rockfish,” has been ongoing for about a year and a half…

Arrested were:

Ikeisha Jacobs, 32, a deputy with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office

Jason Boon, 29, a Northampton deputy

Jimmy Pair, 48, a Northampton deputy

Curtis Boone, 31, a Northampton deputy

Thomas Jefferson Allen II, 37, a Northampton deputy

Wardie Vincent Jr., 35, a former Northampton deputy

Cory Jackson, 43, formerly with the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office

Antonio Tillmon, 31, a Windsor City policeman

Adrienne Moody, 39, a North Carolina correctional officer

Alaina Sue Kamling, 27, a North Carolina correctional officer

Kavon Phillips, 25, a North Carolina correctional officer

Lann Tjuan Clanton, 36, a correctional officer with the Virginia Department of Corrections

Alphonso Ponton, 42, a Virginia correctional officer

Tohsa Dailey, 31, a 911 dispatch operator for Northampton County

Crystal Pierce, 31, of Raleigh

FBI Agent John Strong, who said he and the other agents involved were shocked (I tellya!) by the involvement of police officers, characterized it as “a breach of the public’s trust” in which those officers used their positions “to line their own pockets.”

Another guy who is shocked (I tellya!) is Northhampton County Sheriff Jack Smith, who saw roughly 15% of his 35 deputy department marched away in handcuffs, as a result of the case. He agreed with Agent Strong that this type of thing just cannot be tolerated, especially from members of law enforcement, stating:

“They’ve let me down. They’ve let the sheriff’s office down,” Smith said. “They’ve let the citizens down as well as their families. Most of them have children and they’ve let the down as well.”

For the record, guess who is not surprised at all by this and won’t be in any way surprised when they all get light sentences and possibly even just probation. (I’m talking about me, in case that isn’t really obvious.)