BLADEN COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Bladen County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a man during a traffic stop after they found more than 65 grams of marijuana, a scale and cash.
Deputies stopped the vehicle on John Owen Road in the White Oak Community.
Michael Kemp, 50, of Lyon Landing Road, Elizabethtown was charged with: driving left of center, expired registration, failure to stop for blue light and siren, driving while license revoked, maintaining a vehicle for the sale of narcotics, possess drug paraphernalia, felony possession of marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver marijuana, manufacture marijuana.
Officers seized a 2015 GMC Sierra pickup, approximately 67 grams of marijuana and approximately $17,000 in cash.
Kemp was placed in Bladen County Detention center under a $78,000 secured bond.
He will have a first appearance hearing today in Bladen County District Court.
Sheriff James A. McVicker said members of the Narcotics and Patrol Divisions conducted saturation patrols in several communities this weekend based on citizen complaints.
Deputies conducted “knock and talks”, a term that refers to officers approaching a home where known drug activity has been reported, knocking on the door and attempting to get consent to search or ask about illegal drug activity. These “knock and talks” were done at locations on Locks Road, Carter Road, Troy and Graham Road in the East Arcadia community and on Jacobs Loop Road in the Buckhead community.
Three charges were made on Jacobs Loop based on this interaction. Charged was Wallace Thomas Baldwin, 39, of Clarkton for possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, Nichole Starcross Brewington, 29, of Bolton, with possession of drug paraphernalia, and Polyette Mariscal, 53, of Bolton, charged with possession of Schedule IV controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia.