Over 100 pounds of marijuana were seized by law enforcement authorities when they arrested three people in two consecutive drug busts in Fayetteville, with one of them being a child care center. According to a police report, a search warrant was executed Tuesday on a residence in the 1000 block of Ronald Reagan Drive by the Fayetteville Police Department’s Gang Unit.
While preparing for the search, authorities learned that the residence also served as a childcare center, and was named Tori's Playhouse. Detectives made sure no child would present at the time of the raid and thus waited until the childcare center was closed.
“We don’t have anything to indicate that children had access to it. They were located away from where the children had daycare. They were in the residence, but they were away from where the children would commonly be,” said Lt. Douglas Nicolosi.
A North Carolina couple who ran a home daycare was arrested as part of a large drug bust earlier this week. wavy.com/news/north-car…
Nicolosi has been in charge of the Fayetteville Police Department's Gang Unit's investigation, which began several months ago and is still underway. They were able to obtain over 100 pounds of marijuana, laced cookies and gummies, as well as half a dozen firearms.
34-year-old Victoria L. Everett, who owns and operates Tori's Playhouse, and 32-year-old Reshod J. Everett, her husband, who is an employee of the U.S. Postal Service and is also co-owner of the center, were both arrested on a lengthy list of charges.
According to Fox 8, Victoria Everett faces charges of:
• trafficking in marijuana by possession (Level II) – 62.8 lbs.
• trafficking in heroin by possession (Level III) – 31 gm
• trafficking in heroin by manufacture (Level III) – 31 gm
• possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana – 381 gm
• maintaining a dwelling for keeping/selling controlled substances
• conspiracy to traffic in heroin
While Reshod Everett faces charges of:
• trafficking in marijuana by possession (Level I) – 37.8 lbs.
• trafficking in marijuana by manufacture (Level I) – 37.8 lbs.
• trafficking in cocaine by possession (Level III) – 443 gm.
• trafficking in cocaine by manufacture (Level III) – 443 gm.
• conspiracy to traffic in marijuana
• conspire to traffic in cocaine
• maintaining a dwelling for keeping/selling controlled substances (2 counts)
• trafficking in marijuana by possession (Level II) – 62.8 lbs.
• trafficking in heroin by possession (Level III) – 31 gm
• trafficking in heroin by manufacture (Level III) – 31 gm
• possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana – 381 gm
• conspiracy to traffic in heroin
As of now, both Victoria and Reshod are being held in Cumberland County under secured bonds of $287,500 and $430,000 respectively. Authorities also said that the house on Ronald Reagan Drive that holds Tori's Playhouse looks harmless and is a licensed family child care facility.
“Very friendly. They have wonderful kids playing outside like any normal and friendly people. We love this street. We love this neighborhood,” a neighbor said. After Fayetteville police recovered the hidden contraband from the daycare facility earlier this week, a neighbor, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she was shocked by their discovery.
“We heard they had drugs and some sort of guns and things like that hiding there,” she said.
“I never expected anything of this nature from these young men,” another neighbor, Cynthia Austin said. She said she has cooked for the suspects and even helped them get airline tickets, completely oblivious to what they were up to. "I don’t know where they went, but they were planning on going to Miami,” Austin said.
The childcare center was busted on Tuesday, one day after another Fayetteville drug bust at the Addison Ridge Apartment complex. Sgt. Shawn Strepay, a police spokesman, said that no one lived at the residence and it was solely used for the storage of drugs and other items.
At the apartment, officers seized:
• 275.5 grams of marijuana
• 1 ounce of marijuana wax
• 437 grams of cocaine
• A Smith & Wesson .380 handgun
• A Scorpion 9mm handgun
After the previous bust, cops arrested 27-year-old Alvin Davis III of Fayetteville and slapped him with a series of charges:
• two counts each of trafficking marijuana, trafficking cocaine and conspiracy to traffic
• one count each of maintaining a dwelling for controlled substance, maintaining a vehicle for controlled substances and carrying a concealed weapon
However, Davis posted bail and was released from prison. It was not immediately clear if or how he is related to the couple but authorities said he worked at a Food Lion Distribution Center.
The unit was able to seize more than 300 pounds of marijuana, half a kilogram of cocaine, more than an ounce of heroin, 10 guns, more than $70,000 in cash, and a 2013 Audi Q7 SUV in a span of 36 hours. Police did not say who owned the vehicle. “We’re not going to stop. The chief’s got a push to reduce violent crime, so eventually we’ll catch you,” Nicolosi said.
The operation was part of an ongoing investigation into gang activity and narcotics and the arrests were made with help from the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team and the Central District Community Empowerment Team, police said.
