UPDATED 2 p.m. Handgun was stolen in Whiteville store heist last year.
Three suspects, a handgun stolen from a local store and a “significant” quantity of drugs were seized by Whiteville Police and Alcohol Law Enforcement agents Thursday.
In a news release, Major William Hinz said WPD and ALE were conducting an enforcement operation in Whiteville when they apprehended Cornulius Jamel Watts, 31, at the Happy Mart at Virgil Street and Powell Boulevard. Watts, Juwarn Britt, 31 and Tina Mcinnis, 50, were allegedly drinking alcohol in a 2001 Ford Focus on the premises of the store, according to warrants.
A records check showed Watts was wanted for failure to appear. Watts – a convicted felon – was allegedly in possession of a stolen firearm and narcotics at the time of his arrest.
During the course of the investigation, Hinz said, officers recovered a “substantial” amount of multiple types of illegal drugs, including cocaine, marijuana and opiates.
Warrants show the handgun, a Glock 45, was one reported stolen from Country Boys Outfitters in September 2019. In that case, a suspect broke into the business after hours and filled a bookbag with handguns.
Officers confiscated cocaine, suboxone strips, oxycodone, Adderall, 3.2 MDMA, 11.6 grams of cocaine, Xanax, 129.7 grams of marijuana, scales, cigars used to make marijuana blunts, wrapping papers, and 85 grams of assorted opiates.
Watts was charged with four counts of failure to appear, possession of a firearm by a felon, felony possession of cocaine, trafficking in opiates, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a vehicle for drug activities, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. He was held under no bond. Jail reports show his address as 323 W. College St., Whiteville.
McInnis was also charged with possession of a stolen firearm, felony possession of cocaine, trafficking in opiates, possession with intent to manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine, maintaining a vehicle for drug activities, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle. She was released on a $96,000 unsecured bond. Her address was listed as 108 N. Martin Luther King Blvd., Apt. A, Whiteville.
Britt was placed under a $139,000 secured bond, on charges of possession of a stolen firearm, possession with intent to sell and deliver opiates, narcotics and marijuana; felony possession of cocaine; possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine; and an open container violation.
