CENTRALIA — According to a press release from the Centralia Police Department, over the last three days officers have seized a total of five firearms in three separate incidents, and in each case, illegal drugs were also seized, and multiple arrests were made.
Saturday
Centralia Police Chief Brian Atchison says that around 2:14 p.m. Saturday, an officer made a traffic stop in the 300 block of North Maple for a subject who was not wearing a seat belt.
During the stop, the driver 19-year-old Dangelo Fleener, of Centralia, was ticketed for Driving with a Suspended Drivers License and for No Seat Belt.
According to Atchison, during the stop, officers could smell a strong odor of cannabis and subsequently seized approximately 15 grams of suspected cannabis.
A passenger in the vehicle, 21-year-old Kourtney R. Guess, of Carlyle, was charged with Manufacture/Delivery of Cannabis.
Another passenger, 22-year-old Cameron D. Threadgill, of Carlyle, was found in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun, that was concealed on his person during the traffic stop.
Threadgill was charged with Armed Violence, Unlawful Use of Weapons and No Firearm Owners Identification Card and was taken to Marion County Jail. Also seized from Threadgill was $452 cash.
Sunday
Around 10:16 Sunday morning, an officer reportedly saw a wanted subject run into a residence in the 900 block of E Kell.
Upon making contact with the subject, officers arrested 26-year-old Theodore D. Johnson, of Centralia, on a Vermillon County Warrant for Failure to Appear on a Probation Violation for Possession of a Controlled Substance.
While at that same residence, one of the officers reportedly saw a handgun in plain view, located inside of a car parked in the driveway at the residence.
Officers reportedly seized a total of two loaded handguns from that car, as well as 30 grams of suspected heroin.
The seized items will be sent to the Illinois State Police Crime Lab for processing. Johnson later posted $1,000 on the warrant and was released.
Monday
Finally, around 9:32 a.m. Monday, officers were dispatched to a report of a suspicious vehicle occupied by a male subject who appeared to be sleeping, in the WalMart parking lot in the 1200 block of W. McCord.
While making contact with the subject, an officer reported seeing a drug pipe sitting in the driver’s lap. As the driver was asked to exit the vehicle, the officer then reportedly saw a partially concealed handgun in between the driver front seat and the console.
Officers ultimately recovered and seized a 9 mm handgun from that location and a loaded 12 gauge shotgun from the trunk of the same car.
Police charged 20-year-old Brandon Behnke, 20 of Clay City with Unlawful Use of a Weapon, No Firearm Owners Identification Card and Possession of a Controlled Substance for possessing suspect methamphetamine.
A passenger in the car, 18-year-old Zoie S. Bryant, also of Clay City, was arrested and with Possession of a Controlled Substance for possessing suspected methamphetamine and Possession of Drug Equipment for possessing a hypodermic syringe.
Both were taken to Clinton County Jail.