Three Bertie County residents are behind bars facing drug charges after arrests Jan. 3-4.

Tracy Melinda Handy and Willie Williams Jr. were arrested in one incident while Javon Sartan Freeman was charged in a separate investigation.

Bertie County Sheriff John Holley said Handy was arrested in Merry Hill Jan. 3 following an investigation by his office. Handy, 43, was charged with possession with intent to manufacture, sell and/or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle to use a controlled substance, felony possession of a Schedule II narcotic and possession of drug paraphernalia.

She was placed in the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail under a $15,000 secured bond.

Williams was arrested the next day as a co-defendant in the case. Williams, 39, of Woodard Road in Windsor was arrested and charged with the same offenses as Handy. He was placed in the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail under a $20,000 secured bond.

Deputies also arrested Freeman, 27, of Jeff White Road in Merry Hill following an investigation conducted by the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with the North Carolina Alcohol Law Enforcement agency.

Freeman was taken into custody and charged with two counts of possession with intent to manufacture, sell and/or deliver a Schedule II controlled substance and one count of maintaining a vehicle to keep/store a controlled substance.

He was placed in the Bertie-Martin Regional Jail under a $70,000 secured bond.

“I appreciate the work of our investigators in these incidents,” Holley said. “We are continuing to work diligently to stop the drug trade in Bertie County. I also greatly appreciate the assistance of ALE in the Freeman case.”