hydrocodone drug bust-2 mugs

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Undercover sheriff’s investigators bought hydrocodone pills from a Salisbury man three times in December and January before arresting him on charges of trafficking in opium, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release Monday.
The Post reported Saturday that deputies had arrested Ronald Lee Ghent, 28, of 560 Deck Lane, Salisbury, and he had been jailed under a $500,000 bond.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, a Granite Quarry man, Jason Ian Roberts, accompanied Ghent on the third meeting with undercover deputies and supplied Ghent with the third ó and largest ó installment of hydrocodone, a strong, addictive painkiller.
Roberts, 33, of 806 N. Salisbury Ave., Granite Quarry, was booked in the jail under $100,000 bond, the Post reported Saturday.
In its press release, the Sheriff’s Office said undercover deputies:
– Met Ghent on Dec. 11 in the parking lot of the A & L Mini-Mart, 103 N. Main Street, Faith, and bought 20 hydrocodone tablets.
– Purchased 20 more hydrocodone tablets from Ghent on Jan. 3 in the parking lot of Cheeseman’s General Store, at 9805 Old Beatty Ford Road, Rockwell.
– Met Ghent again on Jan. 25 in the parking lot of Dollar General located at 101 Granite Lane, Granite Quarry. After purchasinganother 80 tablets, officers arrested Ghent and Roberts, who was with Ghent at the time.
The Sheriff’s Office said the 120 tablets purchased from Ghent have a street value of $600.
Officers also found a small quantity of marijuana and 3 additional hydrocodone tablets in Roberts’ 1996 Land Rover.
Ghent is charged with nine counts of trafficking in opium, three counts of possession with intent to sell hydrocodone and one count of conspiracy to traffic in opium.
Roberts faced two counts of trafficking in opium and one count each of possession with intent to sell hydrocodone, conspiracy to traffic in opium, simple possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Both had initial court appearances Monday.