Six men were arrested on drug charges Wednesday during the execution of search warrants at two apartments at a Van Voorhis Road apartment complex.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force began searching apartment 13 at Woodline Apartments to find evidence to support an investigation that several individuals conspired to possess and sell fentanyl and other controlled substances.
According to criminal complaints, “investigators believed the apartment was used primarily as a location to sell controlled substances from.”
During the initial search, five individuals were detained inside the apartment.
Those charged were Tyleal Tasim Fitzgerald, 27, of Baltimore, Md.; Caleb Joseph Dauphine, 25, of Fredericksburg, Va.; Clifton Pete Tyler, 37, of Detroit, Mich.; Malik Owens, 19, of Baltimore, Md.; and Joeshawn Henry Davis, 32, of Ohio.
Task Force Officer Mark Trump said that each of the men had a “wad” of cash in their pants pocket as well as a bag of bulk-packaged controlled substances.
Trump’s affidavit said the apartment was “not furnished with typical furniture,” and the only table in the apartment contained items to weigh and package controlled substances for retail distribution.”
Including the packages seized from the suspects’ pockets, in total investigators seized “14 bags of bulk-packaged powder substances, 1 bag of bulk-packaged cocaine base, and 2 bags of bulk packaged methamphetamine.”
Field tests were conducted on one of the bags of assumed methamphetamine, the bag of assumed cocaine base and one of the 14 bags of powder. The substances tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, respectively.
Task force officers also searched apartment 25 of the complex, where a sixth man, Clifton Pete Tyler, 37, of Detroit, Mich., was also taken into custody.
Task force Sgt. Z.T. Cooper stated he located a plastic bag in Tyler’s front right pocket containing a substance believed to be fentanyl.
After further searching the residence, officers found another plastic bag containing possible fentanyl and pills believed to be MDMA, also known as ecstasy.
Cooper was able to confirm the substances as fentanyl and MDMA using field tests.
Two handguns were also found in the bedroom where Tyler was being detained. A third handgun was found in the kitchen of the residence, the complaint said.
All six suspects were taken into police custody and are currently being held at North Central Regional Jail.
Upon reviewing previous records, Fitzgerald was found to be an active fugitive in Carroll County, Md., for a theft charge, Allegany County, Md., for a controlled substance charge, and Marion County, W.Va., for failing to appear in circuit court.
The complaint said Davis was also found to be an active fugitive in Summit County, Ohio, for a robbery charge.
Fitzgerald, Dauphine, Horton and Malik are all charged with possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver cocaine base and conspiracy to possess with the intent to deliver controlled substances. Their bond was set at $105,000 each.
Davis is charged with possession with intent to deliver controlled substances and conspiracy. His bond was set at $35,000.
Tyler is charged with possession with intent to deliver fentanyl, possession with intent to deliver MDMA and illegally possessing a firearm. His bond was set at $85,000.
All are scheduled for preliminary hearings in Monongalia County Magistrate Court on July 22.
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