By Michael Wetzel

For the Enquirer

Fifty-eight of 62 indictments handed down by a recent Morgan County grand jury involved possession or trafficking of drugs, and law enforcement officials said they’re attempting to disrupt the supply even as addiction drives demand.

“We have actively targeted those that distribute illegal narcotics, bringing increased distribution and trafficking charges,” Morgan County Sheriff Ron Puckett said. “These cases require longer investigations but often result in multiple arrests.”

Sheriff’s spokesman Mike Swafford said illegal drugs are an ongoing issue of supply and demand. “Our focus is to impact the supply,” he said.

Swafford said methamphetamine is the popular drug of choice by abusers. “It’s followed closely by heroin, often laced with fentanyl,” he said.

In one effort to disrupt supply, the sheriff’s office used a confidential informant to call Damion Montrevious Jones, 23, of Decatur, according to an arrest affidavit.

The informant arranged to buy $350 of methamphetamine from Jones, and agents followed the informant to Jones’ car, which was parked at the curb on Seventh Street Northwest, according to the affidavit. The transaction was completed, and agents recovered 28 grams of methamphetamine, according to the sheriff’s office.

Jones was indicted in April for trafficking in a controlled substance, a Class A felony punishable by up to life imprisonment. He remains in Morgan County Jail with bail set at $1 million.

The effort to clamp down on supply could benefit from a grant the sheriff’s office is seeking from the U.S. Department of Justice. The COPS Anti-Methamphetamine Program grants cannot be used for treatment programs or prosecution costs; if awarded, they provide funding that “must be used to locate or investigate illicit activities such as precursor diversion, laboratories, or methamphetamine traffickers,” according to the Justice Department.

The Morgan County Commission on May 25 approved the sheriff’s request to apply for the $1.5 million grant.

Decatur Police Chief Nate Allen said the number of drug arrests in the city is not related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s not a pandemic issue. It’s a society issue,” he said. “We’ve got a narcotics team out there working seven days a week. We’re enforcing the laws.”

The recent grand jury indictments include:

• Sashe Jestina Agnew, 31, Danville; second-degree promoting prison contraband, possession of controlled substance.
• Alicia Nicole Allen, 24, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• William Timothy Allison, 40, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Michelle Lee Alred, 46, Moulton; possession of controlled substance.
• Adam Johnson Atkins, 40, Decatur; trafficking in controlled substance, first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance.
• Jesse Lee Baker, 35, Athens; three counts of possession of controlled substance.
• Michael Leon Baker, 36, Decatur; two counts of trafficking in controlled substance, first-degree possession of marijuana, two counts of possession of controlled substance.
• Mandy Bentley Bates, 45, Hartselle; possession of controlled substance.
• Anna Kaye Bishop, 32, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Joseph Lee Blaxton, 38, Decatur; third-degree theft.
• Frederick Twaon Boykin, 39, Decatur; first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance.
• Kyle Anthony Brakefield, 32, Guntersville; possession of controlled substance.
• Jeremy Ryan Brazier, 28, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Matthew Bryan Brown, 44, Huntsville; possession of controlled substance.
• Whitney Ray Bruce, 36, Decatur; use of false identity to obstruct justice, possession of controlled substance.
• Larry Kantrell Byrd, 43, Decatur; trafficking in controlled substance; first-degree possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance.
• Rayford O’Neal Chambers, 56, Falkville; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
• Whitney Brooke Corbin, 24, Hartselle; first-degree possession of marijuana, three counts of possession of controlled substance.
• Leah Lashay Dobbins, 34, Huntsville; possession of controlled substance.
• Cecil Dewayne Dotson, 65, Hartselle; distribution of controlled substance, forbidden ownership of a firearm.
• David Neal Downing, 32, Falkville; possession of controlled substance.
• Stanley Leon Foster Jr., 39, Hartselle; first-degree possession of marijuana.
• Timothy Ryan Froschello, 37, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Justin Paul Gay, 41, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Jackson Lucas Gonzalez, 23, Hartselle; possession of controlled substance.
• Jessica Ray Guess, 37, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Roger Dale Guess Jr., 40, Trinity; possession of controlled substance with intent to distribute.
• Billy Wade Heatherly Jr., 38, Leighton; possession of controlled substance.
• Dustin Wayne Hill, 38, Mulga; possession of controlled substance.
• Daniel Wayne Hopkins, 30, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Marty Wayne Hopkins, 26, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Matthew Joseph Hoppenjans, 52, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Desmond Lerodd Huber, 27, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Keith Bernard Huff, 33, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Jason Michael Ingle, 32, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Brian Anthony Jackson, 30, Huntsville; possession of controlled substance.
• Victoria Lashae Jones, 27, Decatur; second-degree receiving stolen property.
• Jeffery Wayne Kent, 46, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Jonathan Joseph Lorenza, 38, Decatur; first-degree possession of marijuana, three counts of possession of controlled substance, drug endangerment child act.
• Julia Faith Massey, 43, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Benjamin Dallas McCormack, 30, Killen; possession of controlled substance.
• Brittany LaShawn Miland, 25, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Jerome Leshon Murphy, 35, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Marty Lenear Nappier, 43, Falkville; first-degree receiving stolen property.
• Melvin Nickson Jr., 38, Decatur; second-degree promoting prison contraband.
• Tracey Marie Oden, 39, Lacey’s Spring; possession of controlled substance.
• Bradwick Allen Parker, 35, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Tyler Brandon Pugh, 22, Decatur; two counts of possession of controlled substance.
• Darlene Mears Rader, 44, Hartselle; possession of controlled substance.
• Edgar Martin Ramirez, 30, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Kayla Renae Reed, 30, Moulton; first-degree possession of marijuana, three counts of possession of controlled substance, drug endangerment child act.
• Steven Brian Reed, 55, homeless; possession of controlled substance.
• Michael Joseph Richard, 46, Hartselle; possession of controlled substance.
• Melanie Dyann Roberts, 32, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Jasmine Virginia Taylor, 22, Moulton; possession of controlled substance.
• Roger Dale Vinson, 33, Hartselle; possession of controlled substance.
• Jennifer Yvonne Watkins, 45, Estill Springs, Tennessee; possession of controlled substance.
• Crystal Joetta Wayne, 39, New Hope; possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
• Troy Lane Whitworth, 28, Decatur; possession of controlled substance.
• Kenneth Charles Wilson, 34, Hartselle; two counts of possession of controlled substance.
• Joseph David Wren, 32, Hartselle; first-degree possession of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.