Potted meat leads to arrests

Published 9:35 am Monday, November 7, 2011

Four arrests were made Wednesday on drug related charges.

An intoxicated suspect wandering near Fountain prison and a stolen can of Spam led to the arrest of four people on drug charges Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies said.

All have been charged with possession of a controlled substance and precursors of chemicals used to create methamphetamines.

Twins Misty and Christy Faircloth of Walnut Hill, Fla., Richard Gohagin of Atmore, and Derek Price of Poarch, were arrested after one suspect was apprehended near the prison and found to be in possession of a controlled substance, officials said.

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Deputies responded to a call of an unknown suspect walking close to the prison fence on Highway 21 next to Fountain Correctional Facility, Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Greg Forbes said.

“The prime subject was walking close to the fence next to the prison when correctional officers contacted their K-9 units into investigate,” he said. “They then called into us about the white male, and I arrived on the scene to find him appearing to be under the influence of a controlled substance. I asked him if he was under any controlled substances, which he said Adderall, which is a controlled substance. I then asked him if he had anything on his person to which he answered no. At the same time, he took his hand to his back pocket and tried to toss away a pink baggy that contained a controlled substance believed to be methamphetamines.”

After questioning the subject and taking him into custody, the subject was asked why he was walking next to the prison.

The subject’s answer soon followed with another call related to his incident that led to the other arrests, Forbes said.

“When asked why he was walking there, he said that he was looking for a wedding band that he threw out the window of his car,” he said.

“The car was at the BP station down the road waiting for him to call to pick him up. We then received a call from the BP reporting a theft had just occurred. The descriptions were of a white male and white female that had just stolen batteries, a can of SPAM and left in a white Grand Am.”

The suspect told Forbes he was waiting for a “white Grand Am.”

“As soon as the car passed me, I stopped it and upon search found the batteries and SPAM,” Forbes said. “A deeper search revealed a hose and drug paraphernalia that is used to create methamphetamines. All of that led to the arrests for possession of a controlled substance and precursors to create methamphetamines.”

The suspects were arrested and taken into custody.