By Gayleen Draper
News Reporter
Nine arrests were made Wednesday by Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics agents during an undercover operation which began nearly two years ago.
The combined efforts of OBN, District 16 Drug Task Force and the Poteau Police Department resulted in the arrest of Dustin Carl Bell, 25, of Poteau; Daniel Mendez, 36, of Poteau; Adena Lynn Harris, 19, of Poteau; Paula Christine Ollar, 38, of Cameron; Matthew Lee Eugene Culpepper, 21, of Heavener; Ruben Soriano Lopez, 32, of Poteau; Jose Salome Guizar Soriano, 43 of Poteau; and Jacqueline Elizabeth Lopez, 34, of Poteau. Seven of the offenders were arrested and charged with trafficking in narcotics .
In addition, a warrant for the arrest of Yolanda Amelia Reyes, 35, of Wilburton was issued as a result of the operation.
According to documents filed in LeFlore County District Court, an undercover OBN agent purchased 1.0 grams of methampetamines from Dustin Carl Bell on Nov. 28, 2006, at a cost of $100. The document states that the transaction took place outside of Bell's residence located at 205 LeFlore in Poteau.
Daniel Mendez, 36, and Adena Lynn Harris, 19, both of Poteau, were charged in the same case with unlawful delivery of a controlled drug. Court documents state that on Jan. 30, 2007, an undercover OBN agent purchased 7.0 grams of meth from Harris and Mendez at a cost of $560. The transaction allegedly took place inside the Poteau Inn.
Paula Christine Ollar, 38, of Cameron was also charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled drug. According to court records on Jan. 8, 2007, an undercover OBN agent purchased 2.08 grams of meth from Ollar inside her home at 401 LeFlore in Poteau. This was a $200 transaction.
Ollar, Gary Eugene Henderson and Adena Lynn Harris were also charged with trafficking in illegal drugs. Court records state that on Feb. 21, 2007, an undercover OBN agent went to the Ollar home to purchase the meth. Harris and Henderson were present at the home when the $1,400 transaction took place.
Ollar was charged in a separate case with a second count of trafficking in illegal drugs. Court documents state this transaction took place on March 28 when she allegedly sold meth to an undercover OBN agent at a cost of $1,500. This transaction took place outside the residence at 702 Hopkins in Poteau.
Matthew Lee Eugene Culpepper was charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled drug.
According to court records, on March 10 an undercover OBN agent purchased approximately 14 grams of meth from Culpepper at 1914 N. Broadway in Poteau at a cost of $700.
Ruben Soriano Lopez and Jose Salome Guizar Soriano were charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled drug and three counts of trafficking in illegal drugs. Court documents state that on Jan. 24 an undercover OBN agent purchased meth from Soriano for $300. The transaction took place in the parking lot of the All-Star Center in Poteau.
Another transaction occurred on Feb. 5 between the agent and Soriano for $1,600 at the same location.
On Feb. 25 the same agent purchased meth from Soriano and Lopez for $1,400. The affidavit states the transaction took place in the parking lot of Bo-Bo's Convenience Store in Cameron.
The undercover agent met with Soriano and another unidentified white male on March 18 in the parking lot of the Choctaw Travel Plaza in Poteau. The agent allegedly purchased the meth for $1,100.
An undercover OBN agent purchased meth from Soriano on March 31 at the Choctaw Travel Plaza in Poteau at a cost of $1,000.
Jacqueline Elizabeth Lopez was charged with trafficking in illegal drugs. Court documents state that on May 8 an undercover OBN agent purchased meth from Lopez at a cost of $1,400 in the parking lot at 702 Hopkins in Poteau.
Yolanda Amelia Reyes has been charged with unlawful delivery of controlled drug. According to court documents on June 21 an undercover OBN agent purchased meth from Reyes for $300. The transaction reportedly took place in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Poteau. A warrant for Reyes' arrest was issued July 1.
As a result of the operation 229.12 grams of methamphetamines with a street value of $11,560 have been taken off the streets of LeFlore County.
These arrests follow the recent marijuana eradication operation conducted in the county during the last week in June by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.
According to OBN Agent Howard Peters, 14 agents eradicated approximately $141,000 worth of marijuana during the annual operation.
“We’ve been doing this for about 25 years,” Peters said. “In addition to the ground teams and the command post we are using helicopters with aerial spotters in places that are unaccessible for our ground teams. Then we use an aerial sprayer component on the chopper to destroy the marijuana from the air.”
During the week-long operation 31 marijuana plots were eradicated and 732 plants were destroyed.
“We found 234 plants in a place near Bokoshe,” Peters said. “We also made one arrest and seized two firearms.” |
