It was a busy shift for law enforcement agents in Atmore on Tuesday night, as two separate investigations led to a pair of arrests on a number of charges.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., officers with three different agencies executed a search warrant at a residence they had been watching for suspicion of drug activity since June.

Scott Walden, an agent with the 21st Judicial Drug Task Force, said officers executed a search warrant at 171 Mosley St. and arrested the home’s occupant, 38-year-old Craig Brown.

“There had been a lot of complaints from neighbors about high traffic coming to and going from the residence,” Walden said. “We suspected him of drug sales and gambling. It had just been wreaking havoc in the neighborhood.”

Walden said patrolling officers in the area have made numerous stops of vehicles leaving the home and subsequently made arrests for possession of controlled substances, including eight arrests in the last week of August alone.

“Officers were stopping people and finding the dope in their cars after being given search consent,” he said. “Mostly they were finding marijuana and crack cocaine.”

Officers found marijuana and crack cocaine Tuesday night at Brown’s residence on Mosley St., as well as at a house next door that the suspect claimed to have recently purchased for only $3,000.

“We had done a couple of controlled buys at the house,” Walden said. “At approximately 7 p.m. (Tuesday), we received information that (Brown) and several other people were at the residence possibly holding narcotics.”

Walden said two other people were held after a search of both premises, but were ultimately released without charges. Brown was charged with possession of a controlled substance and violating a community corrections probation, after officers found marijuana in the yard of his residence and crack cocaine outside of the home Brown claimed to have recently purchased.

Brown was transferred to the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton, but not before receiving some company in the Atmore Jail after officers followed up on information that residents of an apartment at T&J Townhouses on Trammell St. were in possession of methamphetamines.

Agents with the DTF, officers with Atmore Police Department and deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department arrived at the apartment complex and immediately observed a white male running through the parking lot after appearing to have discarded an item.
Although no narcotics were found, officers arrested the man, later identified as 22-year-old Winston Corey Bryan, after he repeatedly refused to comply with officers’ orders.

Bryan was held at Atmore Jail, where Walden said he continued to threaten officers. Walden said Bryan was transferred to the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton.

According to Walden, officers included in Tuesday’s investigations and arrests included: Atmore Police Chief Jason Dean; Atmore Public Safety Director Glenn Carlee; Walden; officer Isaac Lopez; officer Shane Ward; officer Ryan James; officer Jamey Hattaway; officer Danny Lambert and his canine, Ajax; deputy Brandon Burkett; officer Jonathan Kelley; and officers on Sgt. J.C. Mitchell’s shift.

According to officials with the sheriff’s department, as of Friday at press time, Brown remained in the Brewton detention center on $100,000 bond and facing charges of selling crack cocaine; possession of a controlled substance – crack cocaine; distribution/furnishing of a controlled substance. Bryan was released on bond, but faces charges of making a terrorist threat; public intoxication; obstruction of a governmental operation; resisting arrest; and disorderly conduct.