Update: W’burg police seize one pound of crystal methamphetamine “ice” from motel room

Williamsburg police discovered a pound of crystal methamphetamine, marijuana and suspected Ecstasy pills inside a motel room early Sunday morning, and have arrested two people in connection with the case.

Chief Wayne Bird estimated that the crystal methamphetamine, which is also known as “ice,” is probably worth several thousand dollars after it is mixed with other substances, and divided out for resale in individual doses.

Crystal methamphetamine or “ice” is an extremely pure and potent form of methamphetamine.

“A pound of crystal meth is probably going to go for $20,000,” Bird said. “I know most of the ice that we have been getting is 95 percent or better purity level. We won’t know the purity level of this stuff until we send it to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) lab.”

The federal DEA agreed Monday morning to take over the case and prosecute it federally, Bird noted.

Bird said that this was probably the biggest crystal methamphetamine seizure in terms of weight that his department has ever gotten, although there have been several cases close to that amount.

Bust made

About 6 a.m. Sunday, Williamsburg Police Officers Mike Taylor and Cody Jeffries responded to a local motel after receiving calls about a female juvenile in the parking lot asking for a ride back to Indiana, according to a Williamsburg Police Department release.

An arrest citation indicates that the incident took place at the Budget Inn.

When police arrived, the juvenile told them that she had been left at the motel by a friend and was staying in room 115 with a man, but did not know his name, the release stated.

When Officers knocked on the door of room 115, they encountered Allen Jewell Bradley, 48, who stated the juvenile was staying in the room with him, but that he did not know her name, according to the release.

Officers then asked for permission to search the room and discovered one pound of crystal methamphetamine, 29 grams of marijuana and 95 suspected Ecstasy pills, the release noted.

A bag of marijuana and a scale were found on a table in the room, and police found a butter bowl, which had methamphetamine in it, according to an arrest citation.

Bird said that given the amount of the drug, the crystal methamphetamine was definitely not for personal use.

The drugs “definitely” were intended for distribution locally, Bird said.

Police won’t know for certain that the pills are Ecstasy until they are tested at a lab.

Bird said that Ecstasy is very unusual in this area.

“Any of the Ecstasy we have ever gotten here previously was from people passing through. It is more popular in the bigger cities. We typically don’t see Ecstasy here at all,” Bird added.

He said that authorities are still trying to determine who gave the girl a ride here.

“The juvenile was very uncooperative. The adult male was very uncooperative so we are having to do a lot of investigative work,” Bird said.

“Right now we are trying to track down another couple of subjects, who were not in the room that we believe were involved. Hopefully we will be able to tie it together sooner or later.”

One of the individuals police are still looking for is from this area and the other is from out of town, Bird said.

He hopes to make additional arrests stemming from this investigation.

Police charged the juvenile and Bradley, who is listed in the release as a Louisville resident but on his arrest citation as a Los Angeles, California, resident, with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.

Bradley was also charged with first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and possession of marijuana.

Bradley was lodged in the Whitley County Detention Center.

The juvenile was lodged in the Breathitt County Juvenile Detention Center.

A not guilty plea was entered for Bradley during his arraignment Monday afternoon in Whitley District Court before Judge Cathy Prewitt.

Prewitt set a $75,000 cash bond for Bradley and ordered that he wear an ankle-monitoring device if he is released from custody.

She scheduled a Nov. 6 preliminary hearing in his case.

The status of the girl’s case is unknown since juvenile proceedings are closed to the public.

Editor’s note: Jail records and court records initially listed the name of the male defendant as Bradley Allen Jewell, but court records indicate that the judge corrected the name on the case jacket and on the court docket during Monday’s arraignment to read Allen Jewell Bradley.