Sheriff’s office busts marijuana distributors

By Brandon Hurley
Managing Editor

News@beeherald.com

A pair of alleged local marijuana dealers who are believed to have conducted illegal drug operations together were apprehended last week by the Greene County sheriff’s office.

The duo is allegedly responsible for distributing marijuana to more than 25 minors, according to local deputy interviews.

Lori Gannon, 61, of Churdan was arrested on multiple charges of drug distribution violation to persons under 18, ongoing criminal conduct, failure to affix tax stamp and possession of drug paraphernalia Nov. 3 following a brief investigation. Her alleged co-conspirator and supplier, Megan Wright, 29, of Jefferson, was pin-pointed as the ringer leader and was apprehended on Nov. 2 for charges of drug distribution violation to a person under 18, ongoing criminal conduct, failure to affix a drug stamp, possession of drug paraphernalia and child endangerment.
The pair have allegedly been operating a marijuana distribution operation out of their homes for nearly 12 months, connecting with juveniles via social media applications Snapchat and Telegram.

TIPPED OFF

A confidential informant working for the local sheriff’s department alerted deputy Heath Enns of the apparent drug operation Oct. 15. The informant relayed that Gannon was selling marijuana and marijuana related products out of her residence at 460 130th Street in Churdan.
Feeling the accusations were enough to act on, the sheriff’s office obtained and executed a search warrant a day later on Oct. 16 at Gannon’s residence. Officers learned, via her own admission, Gannon had been selling marijuana and marijuana related products to “roughly” 10 customers on a daily basis.

Officers then inspected the contents of Gannon’s cell phone, realizing her primary form of communication for drug sales was via the social media app Snapchat. During the search, Enns discovered many of Gannon’s alleged customers were underage minors. The officer asked how Gannon had come into contact with the juveniles she was selling to. Gannon said she “wanted to provide the younger generation a safe place to use and purchase controlled substances.” Additionally, she told officers she was on a “fixed income” and used any profits from her marijuana sales to pay rent.
Gannon also admitted she wasn’t executing her operation alone, that she was buying her supply from a person a few miles south of Churdan.

LOCATING THE SUPPLIER

Wright was pinpointed by Gannon as the supplier, telling officers she was buying illegal drugs from the Jefferson resident for “roughly one year,” court documents read. Gannon then sells her supply to her various customers.
The sheriff’s office subsequently executed a search warrant on Wright’s home at 108 East Central Street Trailer 4 in the afternoon of Oct. 16 following their conversation and interrogation of Gannon, discovering marijuana, drug paraphernalia, other marijuana related products as well as “physical evidence of the sales of the product,” documents say.

Deputy Enns said Wright thusly admitted to selling marijuana, saying she “used the profits to pay” for normal household bills.
Officers also inspected Wright’s cell phone, learning she allegedly communicated with her customers via the application Telegram. Court documents say Wright was placing marijuana in her vehicle parked outside of her trailer home for customers to pick up. The inquiring customers would come by, open the car and take the drugs and leave payment in return. Officers learned Wright was selling mainly to minors as well.

CONNECTING DOTS

Officers didn’t initially arrest Gannon and Wright, instead using an eight day span between Oct. 19-27 to interview their alleged customers. Enns alone interviewed six juveniles who had purchased products from both Gannon and Wright. One minor, during Enn’s interviews, said they believed “roughly” 25 juveniles were regularly purchasing marijuana from the duo. The interviews, along with the concrete evidence and admission from both alleged dealers, was enough to warrant arrests last week.
Wright was charged with child endangerment because she lives with her three children, ages 11, 6 and 4.

Gannon’s bond was set at $55,000. She remains in jail. Wright posted bond of $61,000 on Nov. 4. She plead not guilty on Nov. 8 on all charges. Neither Wright nor Gannon have any prior Greene County drug or criminal charges on their records.