Published: March 06, 2009 10:17 pm      

Man arrested after police seize drugs

A shoplifting investigation in Virginia led State Police in Fayette County to a Pax residence, where one man was arrested and a large amount of cocaine, marijuana, cash and stolen property was discovered, authorities said.

“This is one of the largest seizures of cocaine in recent memory,” Trooper 1st Class C.L. Adkins said.

Adkins said State Police from the Oak Hill detachment executed a search warrant at the residence after receiving information from the Wythe County, Va., sheriff’s office.

Timmy Adair Bowyer, 43, of Pax, was arrested at his residence around 8 p.m. Thursday and charged with possession with intent to deliver cocaine and marijuana, Adkins confirmed.

Bowyer was released from Southern Regional Jail on $200,000 bond, authorities said. Additional charges may be pending.

State Police said they seized 3 1/4 kilos of cocaine with a street value in excess of $150,000, 3 pounds of marijuana and $58,000 in cash, along with about $100,000 in property that Wythe County authorities believe came from Wal-Mart stores in Virginia and West Virginia.

The Wytheville Enterprise reported Friday that three other Fayette County residents were arrested as a result of the investigation. They were identified as:

- Sidney Ballard Williams, 33, of Scarbro, charged with two counts of conspiracy to sell stolen property, two counts of larceny with intent to sell, conspiracy to conceal stolen goods and larceny with intent to sell.

- Brandon Roy Dickens, 22, of Pax, charged with shoplifting, conspiracy to commit shoplifting, conspiracy to sell stolen property and larceny with intent to sell.

- John Daniel Shifflet, 20, of Fayetteville, charged with conspiracy to shoplift, shoplifting, larceny with intent to sell and conspiracy to commit larceny.

According to the Wytheville newspaper, Wythe County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Keith Dunagan said investigators were called to the Wytheville Wal-Mart early Thursday afternoon and were told by employees that while viewing security tapes from Feb. 28 they had observed individuals shoplifting high-end electronics. Investigators were asked to look at the tapes to see if they recognized any of the suspects in the video. They were unable to identify any of the men.

About an hour later, Dunagan said, investigators received another call from the Wal-Mart security team telling them the suspects were back in the store working the same scam.

Wal-Mart security and sheriff’s deputies took two of the suspects, Williams and Dickens, into custody and recovered about $1,700 worth of stolen electronics. Deputies also located another man in the getaway vehicle and took him into custody.

Dunagan told the newspaper that a follow-up investigation led sheriff’s investigators and Wal-Mart security to seek assistance from the West Virginia State Police in obtaining the search warrant for Bowyer’s residence in Pax. Dunagan said a Chevy pickup truck was also confiscated.

The newspaper said charges against Shifflet stemmed from the Feb. 28 incident. He was arrested Friday in West Virginia and waived extradition to Wythe County.

Dunagan said charges against the driver of the getaway car are pending.

— E-mail: jayres@register-herald.com