Two people in the area were arrested on Thursday on federal indictment warrants for trafficking in heroin and fentanyl. Jazzman Warren, 34, and Michael Green, 41, were arrested without incident and booked into the Daviess County Detention Center (DCDC) after being located at 521 W. Byers Ave. in Owensboro.
The Owensboro-based US Marshals Federal Task Force, Western District of Kentucky and the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) conducted a fugitive apprehension operation that resulted in the arrests of Warren, Green and another resident, Nicholas Nies, 24, who was arrested on state warrants for unlawful transaction with a minor, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, trafficking in marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
While inside the home, US Marshals and DSCO detectives observed illegal drugs and contraband that were left out in plain sight, according to a DCSO press release. These substances were found in multiple rooms.
With assistance from Owensboro Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit (SCU), detectives executed a search warrant and located additional quantities of heroin and fentanyl, multiple drug paraphernalia and property that indicated an ongoing drug operation.
Because the incident occurred near Newton Parrish Elementary School and Walnut Memorial Baptist Church’s daycare, the police report states that both facilities were placed on a brief lockdown until the operation was concluded.
“Because of the presence of fentanyl — a highly dangerous chemical that is commonly mixed with heroin and other illicit drugs — Yellow Ambulance of Daviess County staged in the area and assisted in the operation for the safety of all parties involved,” the statement said.
Before the May 9 incident, Warren has been arrested twice in recent months for recurring involvement in drug trafficking operations. Before Thursday, Warren had been charged with trafficking in fentanyl or a derivative of the drug on Jan. 29.
12 days later, on Feb. 8, DCDC deputies seized 41 grams of suspected heroin that had fallen out of Warren’s clothing during the intake and dressing out process at the jail.
Warren was also charged with tampering with physical evidence and promoting contraband on Feb. 8.
Warren was held at DCDC on $15,000 and $20,000 full cash bonds for two counts of trafficking in suspected heroin for the Feb. 8 incident.
Green was arrested and charged in Owensboro on Jan. 29 for trafficking in fentanyl or a derivative of the drug, and also received charges for tampering with physical evidence and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
Warren and Green should see additional charges related to the trafficking in fentanyl and heroin as DCSO continues with the investigation.
“It’s federal and because of the fentanyl — one, we’re trying to get ahead of the heroin epidemic — and, two, because of how dangerous fentanyl is, I would suspect that, even though they’re wanted federally out of North Carolina, they’ll be doing some serious time,” said DCSO Detective Brad Youngman.
The previous method of locking a drug trafficker up and them not doing or dealing drugs again has become a thing of the past, Youngman said. Instead of sending someone to jail and hoping they’ll get clean or stop committing crimes, it’s “become more of a go to jail, go to rehab, go back to jail, go back to rehab process,” Youngman said. Somewhere along the way, a lot of them learn to get clean, but it’s often a tumultuous journey, he added.
Youngman said it’s a frustrating process — especially for law enforcement and the courts system.
“It’s frustrating for everybody, but it’s kind of the way we’re doing it now,” Youngman said. “She’s been in and out of the county jail, in and out of rehab, and now she’s going federal. If she gets 10 years in the federal system, she’ll be getting 10 years without parole.”
