Community tips lead to drug bust

HAMILTON — The Hamilton Police Department raided a housing authority apartment on Ragsdale Avenue and seized large amounts of methamphetamines, controlled substances and paraphernalia on Tuesday, April 22.
According to Sergeant Investigator Cody McCullar, police had received feedback from the community that there was suspected drug distribution occurring.
McCullar said police used these reports to justify the steps they took going forward with their investigation.
“Due to those allegations, we’ve been keeping an eye on that place. We’ve got names written down and some people we’ve been watching over there,” McCullar said. “On the day of the arrest, we got a phone call about drug activity there once again, and we were advised that one of the vehicles that had been in and out of there was leaving.
“So, we went to that area to try and get eyes on the vehicle. We developed probable cause on the vehicle to stop it. We got out there and asked a few questions, and we were able to locate some drugs in the vehicle.
“It ended up being a lot more drugs than we were expecting. It ended up being around 36g of methamphetamine, Adderall, Xanax and some paraphernalia, and marijuana.”
While police didn’t name any suspects during the interview, booking data shows that Brittany Silas, 38, was the alleged driver who was pulled over that afternoon.
Silas was charged with three counts of possession of a controlled substance, trafficking meth, possession of marijuana second degree, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of prescription drugs without a prescription.
“After talking with that individual and some others, we developed a probable cause to lead us to getting a search warrant for the apartment,” McCullar said.
“Hamilton PD went and executed the search warrant. We didn’t have to kick the door down or anything like that. (There was) no use of force. It went smooth.
“We ended up confiscating more methamphetamines, fentanyl (small amounts in individual baggies), marijuana and paraphernalia. We took two individuals to jail from that residence, a mother and son, but both adults. The investigation is still ongoing to where they’re getting their product from, but they’ve definitely been selling.”
Records show that Anthony Lee Robbins and Jody Ann Robbins were arrested later that night during the raid and booked into Marion County Jail.
Anthony is facing three counts of possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. Jody is facing charges of unlawful distribution, two counts of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana second degree, drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of prescription medication.
McCullar and Hamilton Police Chief Jordan Carter thanked the members of the community who brought this information to light so something could be done about it.
“The allegations were all factual,” McCullar said. “We’re thankful to the community for keeping an eye out and being aware of their surroundings. Without the public keeping an eye on the community, we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs effectively.”
“If you see something suspicious, no matter how small you think it might be, call the police,” Carter said. “We have investigators dedicated to their job; we have law enforcement officers who are dedicated to their job.
“You don’t have to call me directly. You can call the non-emergency line and just ask to speak with an officer, and whoever calls you is going to take their job seriously.”
“Depending on the information the officer receives, we’ve always got an investigator on call 24 / 7,” McCullar added. “We’re available to be called out for certain circumstances, but we highly encourage the community to give us phone calls, and any kind of tips help.
“This started off as small tips, but 36 grams of meth is a large amount right now. The price of meth has skyrocketed thanks to security at the border, so people are charging more for their product because it’s become more expensive.”
Carter said in a statement that navigating the proper legal channels during investigations can be a challenge when trying to wrap up cases quickly, but he and his officers are committed to protecting and serving the people of Hamilton.
“There’s so many hoops we have to jump through with the judicial system to get warrants and convictions,” he said. “All I can say is that we are working anyone and everyone that we have knowledge of dealing.  It takes us a while to build a solid case…. Everyone who is pushing dope in Hamilton is on our radar, and we are building cases on them piece by piece.”
*When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation until or unless proven guilty in a court of law.