Drug Bust: Marijuana | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    On February 27, 2013 at approximately 11:00 pm, Deputy Zack Martin was traveling on West 15th Street in Washington, NC. Deputy Martin checked the plate number of a car in front of him through the NCDMV database. Martin learned that the car’s registration plate was revoked by DMV for failure to maintain insurance coverage. Martin then ran the registered owner’s information through the DMV database and learned that the registered owner’s license was suspended.

    Deputy Martin conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle on West 5th Street near Bay Drive. During the stop, Martin detected an odor of marijuana and alcohol coming from the interior of the vehicle. Martin spoke to the passenger and noted that he was intoxicated. Additional Deputies arrived to assist. Deputies checked the passenger’s name for warrants and learned that he was wanted for a Child Support Order for Arrest. The passenger was arrested and an open bottle of vodka was found in his pocket. During a search of the vehicle, Deputies located a plastic container with 10 individually packaged baggies of marijuana hidden under the car’s console.



    As a result of the stop, Deputy Martin arrested the driver, Jerome Coley Suggs Jr., age 25, of East 7th Street in Washington, and the passenger, Charles Eugene Gorham III, age 28, of Minuteman Lane in Washington. Both were charged with Possession With Intent to Sell and Deliver Marijuana and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Gorham was served with the Child Support OFA and charged with Possession of an Open Container. Suggs was also charged with Driving While License Revoked. Both were held in the Beaufort County Detention Center under $5,000.00 secured bonds.


    Major Kenneth Watson
      Beaufort County Sheriff's Office