Ahoskie man faces drug trafficking charges

Published 9:30 am Friday, November 22, 2024

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

AHOSKIE – What started as a traffic stop for a minor violation turned into a major discovery of illegal narcotics.

Marijuana, psychedelic mushrooms, LSD tablets, Fentanyl, Ketamine, and Crystal Methamphetamine were among the items seized during the recent arrest of an Ahoskie man. Photo courtesy of the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office

Johnny Earl Eason II, age 34 of Ahoskie, is jailed without the privilege of bond following his arrest on Nov. 7. Eason is charged with nine felonies: one count each of trafficking marijuana, trafficking opium, and trafficking LSD; two counts each of possession with intent to sell/deliver Schedule I controlled substances, and possession with intent to sell/deliver Schedule II controlled substances; and one count each of possession with intent to sell/deliver marijuana, and possession with intent to sell/deliver Schedule III controlled substances.

Eason is scheduled to make a court appearance on Nov. 22 to answer those charges.

His arrest stemmed from a traffic stop conducted Nov. 7 by the Down East Drug and Violent Crime Task Force in conjunction with the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office. During the traffic stop, an exterior sweep of the vehicle was performed using a K9, who alerted on Eason’s vehicle of the possible presence of narcotics. That led to a search of Eason’s vehicle at which time Crystal Methamphetamine was located near where the driver was sitting. Eason was the only occupant of the vehicle.

Through further investigation, Task Force agents were led to a residence located on US 13 south of Ahoskie. There, agents located two black suitcases containing various types of illegal narcotics. Seized as evidence from those suitcases were 15.5 pounds of marijuana, 2.3 pounds of psychedelic mushrooms, 514 LSD tablets (Acid) 64 grams of Fentanyl, 424 grams of Ketamine, and 20 grams of Crystal Methamphetamine.

Johnny Earl Eason II

“We work hard each and every day in an effort to combat and curtail the sell of illegal narcotics in our county,” said Hertford County Sheriff Dexter Hayes. “We are fully aware that selling illegal narcotics and cases of violent crime go hand-in-hand. That’s why we continue to work diligently to arrest those responsible for selling these drugs and also work to have them prosecuted as far as the law will allow.

“I’m proud of the work of my officers and the Task Force agents. It’s our sworn duty to work to keep our towns and our county safe for those that live here and work here,” Hayes added.