7 charged in drug raid

By Jean Cole
jean@athensnews-courier.com

October 10, 2008 09:37 pm

— Seven people were arrested Thursday night when Limestone County authorities raided a house in Athens where crack cocaine, pills and marijuana were found, an official said.
Authorities converged on the home at 708 Westmoreland St. about 9:30 p.m., said Lt. Lance Royals of the Limestone County Sheriff’s Department.
“We had been getting a number of complaints about people selling crack out of the residence, so we executed a search warrant and there were people galore in there,” Royals said. “Most of them live there, but it’s a crack house, so basically there are people in there left and right.”
The following were arrested for two counts of possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of marijuana:
• Allen Thompson, 55, Billy Wayne Thompson, 42, both of 708 Westmoreland, and James Allen Thompson, 29, of 714 1/2 Horton St.
• Rose Marie Thompson, 45, of 708 Westmoreland, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. Bond is set at $7,000.
• Sabrina Ann Thompson, 30, of 708 Westmoreland, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and second-degree possession of marijuana. Bond is set at $6,000.
• Hosea Saman Thompson, 27, of 211 Doris Drive, Harvest, and Richard Earl Jones Jr., 21, of 2184 Jeff Road, Madison, were each charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance.
Investigators found a small amount of crack at the home — about $100 worth — along with Lortab (hydrocodone with aspirin) and hydrocodone tablets and a very small amount of marijuana, Royals said.
Royals said the Thompson family members are not big dealers.
“They sell enough to get by — $400 to $1,000 on a daily basis — but they spend part of that to get more,” he said. “They might buy $100 to $300 at a time to sell. They have always been dealing and have been arrested a number of times. They used to live on Sardis Springs Road. We get a bunch of complaints about them.”
Hosea was released from the Limestone County jail after posting $10,000 bond Thursday.
Bond is set at $11,000 for Billy Wayne Thompson and James Allen Thompson, and $10,000 for Jones, but they will not be released from jail due to probation violations, Royals said.
Bond is set at $11,000 for Allen Thompson.