Whitley County deputies seize $6,000, drugs Thursday

Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies confiscated over $6,000 cash and several drugs while executing a search warrant late Thursday afternoon.

Michael Wilde is facing drug trafficking and drug possession charges.

Sheriff Colan Harrell said that this is one of the largest cash seizures his department has made, and the case has been under investigation for a couple of months or so.

Sheriff’s Deputy Jonas Saunders arrested Michael William Wilde, 36, of Williamsburg, about 6:01 p.m. and charged him with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, second-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana.

Deputies also served Wilde with an arrest warrant for five counts of illegal take/pursue deer or wild turkey, interference with an officer, two counts of hunting/trapping without a license or permit, second-degree wanton endangerment and second-degree fleeing or evading police.

The arrest warrant stemmed from a Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife investigation on Jan. 8, according to court documents.

Saunders, Harrell, Chief Deputy Tim Baker and Deputy Cody Harrell executed a search warrant at Wilde’s 127 Fairview Depot Road home in Williamsburg.

“Upon arrival, nobody would answer the door, but activity could be heard inside the residence,” according to a sheriff’s department release.

When they entered the residence, deputies observed Wilde allegedly attempting to flush a bottle of Xanax pills down a toilet, according to his arrest citation.

In his left hand, Wilde allegedly had several pills including seven pills believed to be Oxycodone, one Xanax, and five Oxymorphone, the arrest citation stated.

Police found 39 Suboxone films in Wilde’s left back pocket, and about $6,042 on Wilde, according to the arrest citation.

In Wilde’s jacket, police allegedly found marijuana, rolling papers and 2 ½ Suboxone wafers, the citation stated.

Wilde had “a large amount of cash and several different illegal amounts of pills (that) are consistent with trafficking,” Saunders wrote on an arrest citation.

Wilde was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

Wilde pleaded not guilty in both cases during his arraignment Monday afternoon in Whitley District Court.

Judge Fred White scheduled a March 12 preliminary hearing in the drug trafficking case, and a March 12 pretrial conference in the illegal hunting case.

White set a $15,000 fully secured bond for Wilde. This means Wilde would have to put up $15,000 cash, $30,000 worth of property or a combination of the two in order to be released from jail.

Sheriff Harrell said deputies aren’t anticipating making any additional arrests in connection with this case.