PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – A house on the 2400 block of Staunton Ave in Portsmouth has been operating as a base for a drug trafficking organization, involving hundreds of narcotics transactions — at least until last week. That’s according to the search warrants police filed to bust the criminal operation.
According to a news release issued March 1, Portsmouth Police, along with other law enforcement agencies, executed a slew of search and arrest warrants at the property on February 23. That resulted in arrests and schedule 1 or 2 distribution charges for seven men: 36-year-old Samuel Swinney, 35-year-old Keith Johnson Jr., 21-year-old Michael Drake, 23-year-old Antoine Blunt Jr., 21-year-old Brian Smith, 32-year-old Torrean Davis and 22-year-old Michael Williams.
Police recovered two firearms as well as several ounces of drugs including cocaine, fentanyl and crack cocaine.
In the last two months, according to court documents, police observed more than 10 drug dealers “involved in the day-to-day dealing of crack cocaine and other illegal narcotics activity” at the location.
Investigators were able to obtain and test drugs sold out of the house. They say they recovered heroin and products that tested positive for cocaine.
Police referred to the operation as the Staunton Ave drug trafficking organization.
“Members of the organization have been observed distributing large quantities of cocaine and U.S. currency among themselves which were then redistributed to buyers in exchange for cash,” a search warrant affidavit reads.
According to the affidavit, police began an in-depth investigation into the operation in January.
Police request anyone with knowledge of this case to contact the PPD Special Investigations Unit at 757-393-8536, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP or submit an anonymous tip through their website at www.portscrimeline.com.