Athens Review, Athens, Texas

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April 15, 2009

Three booked on drug charges in GBC

Bond set at $500,000 on each for alleged possession of methamphetamine

By Rich Flowers News Editor

A man described by the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department as a major drug dealer is in jail for the second time this year after a traffic stop Wednesday on Welch Lane in Gun Barrel City.

Michael Jeremy Washburn, 28, was booked into the Henderson County Jail on a charge of possession of a controlled substance over 400 grams. Alicia Ann Johns, 24, and Lawrence Randall Snyder, 39 — passengers in Washburn’s vehicle — were also charged with possession over 400 grams. The first degree felony carries a punishment range of 5-99 years or life in prison.

Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Henry Ashford set bond on each at $500,000.

“This has been an ongoing investigation,” Henderson County Sheriff Ray Nutt said. “I think it’s major drug bust in the county.”

Sheriff’s Department reports state Henderson County Drug Enforcement Unit Investigators David Faught, Kenneth Collard, Derrell Waller and Ronny Halbert initiated a traffic stop shortly after midnight Tuesday on a 1990 Dodge pickup. During the stop investigators located a large quantity of a substance that appeared to be methamphetamine.

Investigators arrested Washburn, Johns and Snyder at the scene and transported them to the Henderson County Jail. The three were arraigned Wednesday morning.

“This is the group that had a lab blow up on them in a house over in Oak Harbor and we were able to tie them to it and file charges in that case,” Nutt said.

Washburn was arrested Feb. 4 for arson, manufacture of a controlled substance and evading arrest in connection with the Oak Harbor lab. He posted bond and was released March 6.

Johns was jailed Jan. 28 on a charge of abandoning/endangering a child. She was released Feb. 3 after posting $25,000 bond. Less than 24 hours later, Johns was charged with possession of less than one gram of a controlled substance. She bonded out Feb. 4

As investigators executed the traffic stop Wednesday, a woman failed to stop and slammed into the back of Faught’s patrol car. Faught did not sustain any injuries requiring treatment.

“Everybody’s OK. We’ve got a damaged pickup truck with damage in the front and damage in the back,” Nutt said. “We were fortunate not to have some folks hurt.”

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