Task force Captain Anzell Harris said this morning the arrest of an alleged heroin dealer Wednesday in the Church Street area of Roanoke Rapids was part of that campaign.
“It’s an area they’re watching from neighborhood complaints,” Roanoke Rapids police Chief Chuck Hasty said of Church Street, which is off Highway 158.
Harris said the task force has received “a lot of complaints” about Church Street, including frequent traffic moving in and out. “It’s like a drive-through. We’ve been following it and have been stopping cars.”
Complaints from the neighborhood include marijuana sales but “mostly heroin,” Harris said.
The task force has employed the use of an agent from the SBI’s Diversion and Environmental Crimes Unit for several years, Harris said. “We started the heroin stuff several months ago.”
On Wednesday around 3 p.m., Harris said in a statement, task force Agent D.J. Hundley encountered Jarrod Boone, 28, on Church Street.
Boone, who resides on Church Street, was arrested on an outstanding true bill of indictment issued February 20.
The indictment charges Boone with possession with intent to sell and deliver heroin, sell heroin and deliver heroin.
Boone is one of several expected to be arrested in the campaign, which is also being conducted with the assistance of the Northampton County Sheriff’s Office narcotics division.
He received a $10,000 bond and April 17 court date. He was also served an outstanding order for arrest for missing a court date in Northampton for driving while license revoked.
While heroin dealing has not completely taken over the sale of other drugs in the county, it is prevalent.
While it is not yet been confirmed, Harris said, “We’re getting a lot of reports of people cutting (heroin) with rat poison and fentanyl. We’re just getting information about it and trying to tell people to stop buying the stuff. They never know what they’re cutting it up with.”

Marijuana arrest

Meanwhile, the task force reported drug complaints on the occupants of an apartment in Fairfield Apartments for the past several weeks resulted in an arrest Wednesday.
Harris said in a statement the arrest of Jonathan Lomax Lucien was the result of assistance from an undercover agent who reportedly made a successful purchase at the residence off Highway 125.
Investigation conducted by Agent D.W. McKeel resulted in the issuance of a search warrant.
Shortly after 5 p.m., agents and the Halifax County Gang Task Force executed the search warrant and located six individually wrapped bags of marijuana which weighed approximately 16 grams, a digital scale and a box of plastic bags.
McKeel arrested and charged Lucien, 32, for possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance and possession of marijuana paraphernalia.
McKeel also obtained warrants for the undercover purchase made earlier in the day.
Lucien was served warrants for sell marijuana, deliver marijuana, possession with the intent to sell and deliver marijuana and maintaining a dwelling for a controlled substance.
Lucien has been staying in the Roanoke Rapids area for several months but is originally from Enfield.
He received a $1,000 bond with an April 19 court date.
Roanoke Rapids Police Department Officer H. Grimes also assisted during the search warrant.