The drug task force that works out of Fourth Judicial Circuit District Attorney Michael Jackson’s office has been quite busy lately building drug cases against individuals within the district.

This week, the task force, in partnership with more than a dozen other law enforcement agencies, executed a massive search and arrest warrant campaign that has landed at least 13 suspected drug dealers and users in jail.

“This has been an 18-month campaign that we’ve been working,” task force commander Larry Colston said. “Right now, we have these individuals in custody and are looking for others who have fled the area.”

The arrests were made Monday, when officers executed the warrants at six separate locations around Marion at the same time.

“We found drugs, cash, guns, stolen merchandise, you name it,” Colston said. “We are very pleased with the results thus far.”

The charges filed against those arrested are all drug-related charges and all were placed in the Perry County Jail. Colston did not have bond information on those in custody.

According to Colston, those arrested were:

• Richard Leon Moore, 36, of Marion.
• Jimmy Lee Williams, 25, of Newbern.
• Darrick Belcher, 33, of Marion.
• Marvin Moore, 33, of Marion.
• Lester Jeffries, 20, of Marion.
• Wesley Kynard, 24, of Marion.
• Robert Underwood, 42, of Marion.
• Marquise Perkins, 25, of Marion.
• Joe Lewis Benjamin, 37, of Marion.
• Lenny M. Turner, 38 of Uniontown.
• Carlos Evans, 28, of Marion.
• Christopher Collins, 26, of Marion.
• Sherman Broadhead of Marion.

“We really want to thank the public who has helped us in gathering information on these individuals,” Colston said. “These are the residents who are worried and want to clean up their neighborhoods.”

To share any information about drug-related incidents in the district that includes Dallas, Perry, Wilcox, Hale and Bibb counties, residents can call 683-5001, the Perry County Sheriff’s Department at 683-6534 or the District Attorney’s office in Selma at 874-2540.