Operation Rattlesnake
The Avery County Sheriff’s Office has conducted Operation Rattlesnake, an undercover drug operation which has taken place over an eight month period. Operation Rattlesnake was named as law enforcement is attempting to get those spreading poison out from hiding and brought to the light of justice. The Avery County Sheriff’s Office could not have conducted or executed such an operation without the cooperation and assistance of many other agencies. The agencies which assisted were the Mitchell County Sheriff’s Office, McDowell County Sheriff’s Office, Boone Police Department, Banner Elk Police Department, Beech Mountain Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation. Operation Rattlesnake has been successful in warrants being taken on 30 different people with over 70 charges being brought thus far. Law enforcement is still trying to apprehend some of those offender in the past 24 hours those taken into custody were: Gary White- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana Melody Edminson- Trafficking in Opium or Heroin Kassandra Allen- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances Johnathan Warren- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule III controlled substances Joshua Brewer- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X2 Megan Dear- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana X2 Demi Hicks- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule III X3 and possession to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Marijuana Steven McGee- Possession with Intent to Manufacture Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X2 Michael Turbyfill- Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Marijuana Heather Woodie- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances X4 Douglas Metcalf- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II and III controlled substances and Habitual Felon William Cook- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver Schedule II controlled substances Molly Thomas- Possession with Intent to Manufacture, Sell or Deliver marijuana and harboring a fugitive. Tonnie Chandler – Conspire Sell Schedule II Controlled Substances Wendy Wise Ledford – Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule IV, Habitual Felon Bridget Mitchell – Conspire Sell Schedule II Controlled Substances Patricia Zahn- Possession with Intent to Sell or Deliver Schedule III * The charges listed are not a complete list of all charges but are the higher class felonies.