Trending
Lantz
BUCKHANNON -- Twelve people have now been arrested after the Mountain Lakes Drug and Violent Crime Unit served a search warrant at 12 Cooper St. in June.
Dallas Sterling Lantz, 34, of Buckhannon, was arrested for possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and Anti-Organized Criminal Enterprise Act, all felonies, and a capias warrant. Lantz was not at 12 Cooper St. on June 5 when nine individuals were detained by the Mountain Lakes Drug and Violent Crime Unit, Buckhannon Police Department, Upshur County Sheriff's Department and the West Virginia State Police, according to the criminal complaint in the Upshur County Magistrate Clerk's office.
Lantz makes the third arrest to come after June 5.
William H. McCauley, 34; Tiler S. Marteney, 28; Kayla M. Miller, 29; Isaiah Edmond, 24; David Mayo, 39; James A. Perednas III,30; Courtney Carrier, 33; Brandon Scott, 35; Lita Smallwood, 34, Alan Lee Stanley, and Shirley R. Weese, 27, all of Buckhannon, were previously arrested for possession with intent to deliver, conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and Anti-Organized Criminal Enterprise Act, all felonies.
Officers located multiple small zip lock bags of methamphetamine, one large bag of methamphetamine, multiple packages of marijuana, multiple unidentified pills, one small bag containing brown powder and one small bag with a dark almost black crushed up rock, multiple scales with white residue along with multiple unused baggies, vials and containers commonly used to package, house and transport controlled substances, according to Cpl. Marshall O'Connor with the BPD and a task force member. The officers also found a ledger used to document drug transactions along with U.S. currency.
O'Connor stated that evidence obtained shows that all nine individuals have conspired and engaged together in the distribution of controlled substances at a location that has a documented history of complaints exceeding the six month time frame needed for the Anti-Organized Criminal Enterprise Act. Multiple complainants described the traffic coming to and from and the house. The individuals leave with what appears to be full backpacks and return with lighter backpacks at all hours of the day and night, according to the criminal complaint.
O'Connor also obtained messages from seized cell phones that depict some of the individuals engaging in conversations involving the sale and distribution of controlled substances.
Deputy Dakota Linger with the Upshur County Sheriff's Department also arrested Lantz for driving revoked third offense, a felony, from a June 4 traffic stop. Lantz' license had been previously revoked for DUI and Lantz has two prior convictions for driving revoked for DUI from November 2018 and April 2019.
Magistrate Kay Hurst set bond at $75,000 cash or surety for the three felonies and $5,000 cash only for the capias.
Possession with intent to deliver carries imprisonment for one to 15 years and/or fined not more than $25,000. Conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance carries confinement in the penitentiary for one to five years and/or a fine of not more than $10,000. The penalty for violating the Anti-Organized Criminal Enterprise Act is up to 10 years in prison and/or up to a $25,000 fine.