Six charged in drug cases

Published 12:27 am Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Correctional officers thwarted an attempt to smuggle drugs into the Brewton work release center Monday, one of two cases of drug arrests in recent days helped by tips from county residents.

Erika Stacey of Atmore was arrested Monday after she allegedly attempted to provide contraband to inmates at the county jail, Escambia County Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said.

“Our correctional officers got a tip that a package containing contraband was to be delivered to someone in the jail,” Lambert said. “The delivery was supposed to be made in the parking lot of a Brewton business. Based on that tip, surveillance was set up at the location and the suspect was seen placing the package for pickup.”

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Arrested in connection with the case were Mark Shipps of Atmore and Derick Knighten, also of Atmore.

Lambert said Shipps, who was a part of the work release program at the Escambia County Detention Center, arrived at the location where the package had been delivered and retrieved the package.

“Shipps got the package and had intentions to smuggle it into the work release center,” Lambert said. “He was stopped and found to have the contraband on his person.”

Lambert said the package was intended to be delivered to Knighten based on information from the tip officers had received.

Stacey was placed under arrest and charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, second-degree and promoting prison contraband.

She was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center where she was booked on the charges. Since Stacey had been arrested previously on similar charges, her bond is revoked and she remains at the Escambia County Detention Center.

Knighten faces additional charges of promoting prison contraband and conspiracy to commit a controlled substance crime.

Shipps faces additional charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of marijuana, second-degree and promoting prison contraband.

Knighten and Shipps remain in the Escambia County Detention Center.

A Saturday arrest found two adults — including a Brewton woman — and one juvenile in custody after they were arrested in the Wawbeek community.

Lambert said the trio was arrested after a call reporting a suspicious vehicle was received at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department.

Jefferson Morris, 364 Perry Lane, Atmore was arrested when he was discovered in a vehicle parked along Perry Lane in the Wawbeek community.

Marilyn Tasha Satterwhite, 1245 Pine Road, Brewton, was arrested along with Morris.

A 17-year-old juvenile was also taken into custody after being found in the company of Morris and Satterwhite, Lambert said.

“We received a call that there was a suspicious vehicle at the back of a field in Wawbeek,” Lambert said. “When our officers arrived, they found the two adults and one juvenile in a vehicle there. The officers heard something begin thrown into the bushes when they arrived.”

Lambert said officers retrieved a container from the bushes and believed the contents to be crystal methamphetamine.

“The officers performed a field test on the substance in the container,” Lambert said. “The substance tested positive for crystal meth.”

The adults were taken into custody with the juvenile being turned over to juvenile authorities, Lambert said.

Both Morris and Satterwhite were transported to the Escambia County Detention Center where they were booked on charges of unlawful possession of a controlled substance – crystal methamphetamine.

Since Morris and Satterwhite were on probation for similar charges in a previous arrest, Lambert said a request to have their probation revoked had been presented to officials. Both remain in the Escambia County Detention Center with no bond.