Sheriff’s deputies seize pot, pills and cash in pair of weekend drug raids

A Whitley District Judge has set $50,000 cash bonds for two men arrested by Whitley County Sheriff’s deputies in separate drug trafficking cases late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

On Saturday, Deputy Dorman Patrick Jr. charged Michael Henry Canady, 30, of Rockholds, with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.

On Sunday, Patrick charged Charles Thomas Hurst, 49, also known as Tom Watson, of Woodbine with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and having a controlled substance not in its original container.

District Judge Jason Price entered not guilty pleas on their behalf during their arraignments Monday morning, and scheduled March 22 preliminary hearings in both cases.

The two busts were made within four hours of one another after deputies used confidential informants to make drug buys at each residence and then obtained search warrants that they executed.

About 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Sheriff Lawrence Hodge and seven deputies executed the first of the two search warrants at 4200 Tye’s Ferry Road in Rockholds, which is Canady’s home.

Deputies found several Roxicet pills, marijuana, several needles and the money used to purchase illegal narcotics from Canady, according to a press release and court documents.

"This was a guy we’ve been looking at for a while. He was a major player in the drug dealing going on in the Rockholds area," Hodge said.

The search also turned up a person inside the residence, who was wanted for owing delinquent child support, according to the release.

Deputies served Gerald R. Canada, 36, of 166 Walters Street, Woodbine, with a warrant charging him with flagrant non-support.

"They thought we would be at the pie suppers rather than be on the roads doing our job," Hodge said.

About 1 a.m. Sunday, Hodge and six deputies executed the other search warrant at Hurst’s residence at 1676 Highway 26 in Woodbine.

Hodge went to the rear of the residence where he was met by Hurst, and explained to him that he had a search warrant and then entered the home, according to the release.

A search of the residence turned up over 100 pills, marijuana, and over $1,000 cash including several "marked" bills, which were used by a confidential informant to buy the narcotics, according to the release.

"This guy was a major drug dealer. I think we made a huge dent in the drug problem in the Woodbine area. I’ve had several complaints in the past few days about this guy," Hodge said.

Officers participating in the raids included: Hodge, Patrick, and Deputies Ben Hodge, Brett Reeves, Scott Prewitt, Alan Onkst, Ron Bowling and Adam Jarboe.