Two Redmond men were arrested on drug charges Wednesday after SWAT and other law enforcement raided at home. One of them allegedly was found to have fentanyl pills inside a body cavity when he was booked.
The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office said they and Redmond Police received multiple community complaints about suspicious drug activity at the home in the 2300 Block of SW Salmon Avenue.
After an investigation, the street crimes units for DCSO, Redmond Police and the DCSO SWAT team moved in Wednesday and arrested Thomas Cole Grubb, 39, and Zecheriah Graham Newcomb, 27.
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DCSO said that “several wanted individuals with significant criminal history frequented the residence. Additionally, there had been several reported overdoses at the residence and citizen tips indicated the sales of counterfeit oxycodone (fentanyl) pills being sold directly from the residence.”
Eight people were spotted inside the residence during the search, DCOS said. Detectives seized commercial quantities of methamphetamine and counterfeit oxycodone pills which contained fentanyl.
Grubb was arrested and charged with Possession and Delivery of a Schedule I Controlled Substance and Zecheriah Newcomb was arrested on a felony parole violation warrant.
While being booked at the Deschutes County Jail, DCSO said Newcomb “secreted counterfeit oxycodone (fentanyl) pills in a body cavity. He was subsequently charged with introducing contraband into a public safety facility.”
After numerous cases of overdoses at the jail earlier this year, former Bend Police Chief Jim Porter told us its nearly impossible to screen everything coming in.
“Even with use of body scanners — these are working body scanners for a jail environment. There’s limited ability and limited scope,” Porter told us on January 5.
