By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore police, while searching April 22 for a man who allegedly tried to entice a 9-year-old child into a sexual situation, eventually got their man. They also got a bit of a bonus during their search for him.
APD narcotics investigators and patrol officers wound up arresting four people, including three Atmore residents and a Brewton woman, on drug trafficking charges after nearly 10 ounces of Spice and numerous other illicit substances were found inside one of the places police had checked for their suspect.
According to police reports, officers were in the Brooks Lane area around 4:50 p.m. on April 22, searching for 33-year-old Corneise Payne, who had been accused of making improper advances toward the youngster.
They approached a Brooks Lane house inside which they believed Payne might be hiding and were almost overcome by the marijuana smoke coming from it.
“As the officer was about to knock on the front door, the door was opened by Amanda (Diane) Stephens, age 35, of Atmore,” said Sgt. Darrell McMann. “Stephens told the officers the suspect was not there.”
According to police reports, the officers were “overwhelmed by a very strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the residence” as they spoke with Stephens. They applied for and were granted a search warrant, then returned to the house and served it upon the occupants.
Lawmen found 276 grams of synthetic cannabis (Spice), more than a dozen grams of methamphetamine, an unspecified amount of crack cocaine, two bottles containing an unknown liquid, four dozen Ecstasy pills, unspecified quantities of powder cocaine and marijuana, a digital scale, and numerous other items commonly used to ingest or package narcotics.
Arrested were Toshiva Leweshe Rankins, 32, of Brewton, along with Darius Terrell Lacy (29), Rjamon Jaquan Bufford, (24), and Stephens, all of Atmore.
Rankins is charged with drug trafficking (Spice) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Bufford is charged with drug trafficking (Spice), unlawful distribution of a controlled substance (meth) and possession of drug paraphernalia.
More drugs were discovered on Lacy and Stephens as they were being booked into the Escambia County Detention Center (ECDC), so each drew an additional charge.
Lacy is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance (cocaine, methamphetamine, Spice), possession of drug paraphernalia, and second-degree promoting prison contraband.
Stephens is charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance (Spice, Ecstasy, cocaine), second-degree possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and second-degree promoting prison contraband.
Rankins and Bufford were still in jail Monday, April 29. Stephens was freed on bond a few hours after her arrest; Lacy was released on bond April 26.
Police located Payne, a registered sex offender who was also the subject of two active arrest warrants for public intoxication, and took him into custody around 8:30 a.m. on April 24, in the 100 block of Brooks Lane.
While placing Payne under arrest, police discovered a gram of synthetic marijuana (Spice) in his clothing. He was booked into the county jail, where he remained Monday, April 29, on one count each of possession of a controlled substance and enticing a child.