The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a residence on Blackwell Lane, near the Poarch area earlier this afternoon.

Chief Mike Lambert said the suspect, Gilbert Wade Blackwell, 28, wasn’t at the residence at the time of the search warrant. Lambert said Blackwell has active warrants for bond revocation, distribution of a controlled substance and possession of marijuana I.

Lambert said Blackwell had been arrested previously and made bond.

Shortly afterward, undercover officers started making buys from Blackwell’s residence at 352 Blackwell Ln.

“We turned around and we started making narcotics buys again from the residence,” Lambert said. “We drew a search warrant on it. I had information that there may be some pot plants out here.”

As officers were performing the search warrant, a helicopter flew overhead searching for the pot plants. Officers also found a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Lambert said during the undercover buys, purchases of illegal narcotics and controlled substances were being bought from the residence.

Lambert said the sheriff’s office has been getting reports on Blackwell for the past four to five months.

The investigation was a joint effort between the ECSO and the Poarch Tribal Police Department.

Lambert said he believes Blackwell is in Pensacola, Fla., adding that he does want him to make the right choice in turning himself into the authorities.
“We just want to simply send a message to him and ask if he would surrender himself to the sheriff’s office, where we can handle this in a manner where it will be good for everybody,” he said.

If not, then authorities with the U.S. Marshal’s Office will execute a search, Lambert said.