Nineteen people who had associations with drugs in Covington and a large amount of marijuana, cocaine and other drug items are off the streets thanks to a recent reorganization of the Covington Police Department (CPD) and the participation of concerned citizens.

Wednesday, the CPD issued a press release and laid a large amount of drugs on the table, celebrating almost 20 arrests since April by the department’s Specialized Patrol Unit.

The unit, which operates split into two shifts of three, consists of Lt. Al Miller, Lt. Wendell Wagstaff and officers Grant Satterfield, Chris Smith, Daniel Digby and Hayward DeRouen. CPD Capt. Phillip Bradford said, for the recent string of arrests, the unit worked on tips of suspicious activity from the community and patrolled the areas in question. It then conducted undercover operations by sending confidential sources inside the dealers homes to make drug purchases.
Along with the efforts of the unit, which works in full uniform to let citizens know the CPD is working their streets, the citizens themselves have played a big part in the recent drug-related arrests.

“This is the culmination of not only good work by our officers, but a lot of it arouse out of community complaints,” CPD Chief Stacey Cotton said. “When people decide they want to make a change in their community, the information starts to flow.”

During the recent string of arrests there were 10 targets identified throughout the investigation that purchases were made from. Also during investigations by the Specialized Patrol Unit, others were arrested with various drug charges.

“The cases varied from sale of cocaine, sale of marijuana, sale of methamphetamine and even one sale of synthetic marijuana at one of our local convenience stores,” Bradford said.

In one such case, Mario Smith was identified as a drug suspect after he was shot on Avery Street on Dec. 2. After developing the case CPD arrested him on Jan. 29, and he pled guilty to all charges against him and was sentenced to 30 years, serving five in confinement.

“He is already off the street because of the good work of these people,” said Bradford standing nearby the six members of the Specialized Patrol Unit.

The arrests by the Specialized Patrol Unit were announced Thursday, and there charges are:

• Marshal Prince, 37, of 4108 Thompson Ave. for sale of cocaine
• Marcus Ponder, 43, of 3137 Hendrix Circle for sale of cocaine
• Mario Smith, 33, of 5161 Avert Street for sale of marijuana possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, obstruction
• Katravious Smith, 32, of 9327 Settlers Grove Road for sale of cocaine
• Frederick Leatherwood, 62, of 3172 Legion Drive for sale of methamphetamine
• Jessie Glover, 43, of 7119 Pineview Drive for sale of cocaine
• Jamarcus Simms, 25, of 3169 Thrash Street for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of cocaine
• Charles Williams, 50, of 7135 Greenway Cove for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
• Christopher Farley, 28, of 1908 henderosn Mill Road with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Quantez Robinson, 22, of 195 Crestfield Circle with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Bridrecous Aiken, 25, of 7124 Pine Needle Drive with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Kevis Bell, 23, of 6317 Avery Street with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Quaderius Terrell, 25, of 160 Upper River Road with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Eric Shy, 23, of 4106 Cannon Street with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Lorenzo Henderson, 50, of 5141 Avery Street with failure to appear for child support
• Nolan Butler, 53, of 5172 Avery Street with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Matthew Parker, 19, of 10121 Azalea Court with possession of marijuana less than one ounce
• Mahemood Budhani, 48, with sale of synthetic marijuana

With several people associated with drugs in Covington already off the street, Bradford said the work isn’t done yet.
“We haven’t picked everyone up yet,” Bradford said.

Officer Daniel Digby, Officer Grant Satterfield, Lt. Al Miller, Lt. Wendell Wagstaff, Officer Chris Smith, and Officer Hayward DeRouen Sr.,