Six arrested for drugs in Sardis, Boaz stops

A Sardis police officer stopped a speeding vehicle Friday night on U.S. Highway 431, and his discoveries ultimately led to six arrests — half made in Sardis and half in neighboring Boaz.

Sardis City Police Chief James Harp said the officer pulled over a silver Dodge Challenger traveling 73 mph in a 55 mph zone. He observed someone throw a baggie out of the car, and another occupant threw a larger plastic bag out.

All three suspects — Erick Bernard Lindsey, 23, Demetric Channell Lindsey, 24, and Joseph Earl Benford, 24 — were detained because of their suspicious behavior.

When the officer patted the men down for weapons, he found Benford had $338 in cash and Eric Lindsey had $9,600 in cash, Harp said. When the vehicle was searched, three guns were found, along with marijuana, hydrocodone and a pink substance that one of the suspects identified as Ecstasy.

The officer had notified Boaz police to watch for another vehicle he believed was traveling with the Challenger.

“He said he thought the other car had tried to cut in front of him, trying to draw him away from the other car,” Harp said.

Boaz Deputy Police Chief Josh Gaskin said his department got the call from Sardis police about 11:30 p.m.

Officers spotted the orange Dodge Charger in the Wendy’s parking lot, where an Etowah County deputy was talking to the three occupants.

When officers approached, there was a strong odor of marijuana, but the men in the car would not give consent to search. K-9 Jax was brought in and indicated the presence of drugs in the car, Gaskin said, so the men — Thomas Earl Worthy, 24, of Gadsden; Daniel Lafond Thomas, 24, of Gadsden; and Maleek Rashad Davis, 22, of Attalla — were asked to get out.

When they did, he said, they locked the car behind then and said they did not have the keys.

Gaskin said officers used an unlocking tool to get in the car and found three guns – two Glocks and a Smith & Wesson 9 mm – as well as marijuana, hydrocodone and a pink substance believed to be Ecstasy.

Police later heard from a witness that the suspects had thrown something in the bushes in the area, Gaskin said, and went back and located the keys.

All six men were arrested.

Eric Lindsey was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of a controlled substance.

Demetric Lindsey, 24, was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana, second-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Bernard was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

They were taken to the Etowah County Detention Center.

Worthy was charged with second-degree possession of marijuana.

Thomas was charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.

Davis was charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance.