Thread: Raid nets 1,117 pounds of pot

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Raid nets 1,117 pounds of pot

By Mark Brumley -- Staff Writer, The Courier-Tribune
Posted: 04/26/05 - 10:33:01 pm CDT




ASHEBORO - Deputies raided a home east of Asheboro Monday afternoon just as 1,117 pounds of marijuana was being unloaded and arrested six people, the Randolph County Sheriff's Office reported.

The arrests at 319 Rosemont Road were the result of a joint operation involving the sheriff's office, the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's Greensboro and Charlotte offices, authorities said.

Arrested were Melecio Parra Rodriguez, 41, and his common-law wife, Maria Esther Flores Ruano, 38, both of 319 Rosemont Road, Asheboro; Pascual Aguilar Rosales, 37, 535 Raymart Road, Lillington; Miguel Angel Parra Quinones, 28, 55 Tyler St., Monases, Va.; David Blaquel Zamora, 21, 924 Freeman Ave., Apt. 9, Long Beach, Calif.; and Michael Joseph Potter, 43, 7500 Evans Ford Road, Clifton, Va.

The raid comes less than a week after deputies seized a total of 54.2 pounds of cocaine, 92 pounds of marijuana and $359,730 in cash in two separate raids. The total street value of the drugs was estimated at $2.36 million. Liberty police participated in one of those raids.

"We never thought we could top a week like that," said Sgt. Scott Stockner of the sheriff's Vice & Narcotics Unit.


As large as Monday's marijuana shipment was, it's not the largest that deputies have seized. Back in May 2004, officers seized 1,200 pounds of marijuana in a raid.

"It's awful close," Stockner said.

Stockner said Monday's raid - which took place at about 2 p.m. - was the result of investigative work, surveillance, patience and hard work, plus a little of being in the right place at the right time.

"We knew (the drug shipment) was coming," Stockner said. "We didn't know how much, but we knew it was coming."


Rosemont Road runs off East Salisbury Street near the U.S. 64 intersection. The marijuana was being delivered to the house there in a rented box truck, Stockner said.

Stockner said the tightly taped packages of marijuana were hidden in barrels inside of wooden crates. One of the crates had already been loaded into one of the suspects' cars, but officers stopped the vehicle less than 100 yards from the house, Stockner said.

The estimated street value of the confiscated marijuana is approximately $893,600 to $1.34 million, officers said.

In addition to the marijuana, deputies said they also seized $17,183 in cash, four vehicles, a stolen rifle, digital scales and packaging materials used for weighing and packing drugs.

Deputies said Rodriguez, Ruano, Rosales, Quinones and Zamora are all illegal aliens. Rodriguez - who was scheduled to go to trial next month on a felony charge of possession of marijuana with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver - had documents for several identities, Stockner said.

"It's unclear who he actually is," Stockner said.

All six suspects were charged with conspiracy to traffic in marijuana; trafficking in marijuana by transportation; trafficking in marijuana by possession; possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana; and felony possession of marijuana.

Rodriguez and Ruano were also charged with felony maintaining vehicle or dwelling for controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a stolen firearm.

Rodriguez was further charged with possession of cocaine, financial identity fraud and engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.

Additional charges against Zamora and Potter were felony maintaining a vehicle or dwelling place for controlled substance.

Secured bonds were set at $2.5 million for Rodriguez, $2 million for Zamora, $1 million each for Ruano, Quinones and Potter and $750,000 for Rosales.

Appears as thougn n.Carolina has a drug problem now that is national.It looks as if they are probably from either El Salvador (some uncommon names there) or Mexico.