5 arrested in drug raid

By Sonny Turner
sonny@athensnews-courier.com

July 19, 2008 09:40 pm

— Five people have been arrested in a drug raid that apparently is connected to the seizure of 1,800 pounds of marijuana and $500,000 in cash believed used as drug money.
Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely confirmed Saturday that four men and a woman arrested in Thursday night drug raids are now in the Limestone County Jail on marijuana and possession of controlled substance charges.
“I can’t release any details at this time,” Blakely said. “We will do that early next week.”
But the sheriff confirmed that Bailey Morrell Hines, 19, of 19632 Huntsville-Brownsferry Road, Athens; Nikko Jerel Horton, 18, of 1010 Somerest Dr., Athens; Vivian Louise Leslie, 43, of 12120 Page Road, Tanner; Aurick Tauan Parham, 22, of 19636 Huntsville-Brownsferry Road, Tanner; and Don Anthony Smiley, 44, of 704 Frazier St., Athens; were arrested in a Thursday raid. All were in jail Saturday under $5,000 and $10,000 bail bonds.
Drug agents arrested Hines, Horton, Leslie and Parham at Parham’s mobile home at the corner of Huntsville-Brownsferry and Page roads. Smiley was arrested at another location, drug agents said.
Blakely called off a scheduled press conference Friday to announce the seizure of 1,800 pounds of marijuana and $500,000 in cash because he said the federal Drug Enforcement Agency was not ready to release details of the drug bust.
Drug agents said the five county residents arrested at Tanner are involved, but not the “major players” in the drug case.