Drug case leads to 10 arrest, raid at SW Redmond home

Ten Central Oregon residents were arrested in connection with a drug investigation that included raid late Monday night on a southwest Redmond home that turned up methamphetamine, heroin and a substance used to “cut” those drugs and increase the amount that can be sold, police said Tuesday.

Redmond police officers, the department’s Street Crimes Unit and detectives from the Central Oregon Drug Enforcement Team executed a search warrant shortly after 10 p.m. at a home in the 2000 block of Southwest 32 nd Court, as part of an ongoing drug investigation of the home, Lt. Jesse Petersen said.

Authorities seized nearly two grams each of suspected heroin and meth, as well as about 100 grams of suspected MSM (methylsulfonylmethane), an arthritis-relief drug.

“Drug dealers will use MSM to cut their controlled substances in an effort to have more quantity of drug, which enables them to make more money,” Petersen said.

Those arrested and their status Tuesday included:

-Amanda Hammond, 28, of Redmond, arrested on heroin and meth possession charges and held without bail at the Deschutes County Jail on a parole violation warrant.

-Shane Bei, 28, of Prineville, cited on a heroin possession charge.

-Eric Durbin, 36, of Prineville, arrested on a probation violation and released from the Bend jail to report to Crook Cook County authorities.

-Patrick Higgins, 59, of Bend, cited for drug possession (Sechedule 2 and 4 controlled substance), including Vicodin. (He contacted NewsChannel 21 to indicate they were his own, prescribed medications for an upcoming procedure and he will provide that proof to police.)

-Marcus Thornsberry, 45, of Bend, cited on a heroin possession charge.

-Jacob Hill, 31, of Redmond, charged with heroin and meth possession and distribution, frequenting a place where drugs are used or sold and felon in possession of a restricted weapon; held on $35,000 bail.

-Nicole Detroit, 28, of Redmond, held without bail on a probation violation.

-Samuel Hill, 28, of Redmond, charged with heroin possession and frequenting; held on $10,000 bail.

-Elizabeth Peters, 31, of Prineville, held without bail on a parole violation, also charged with frequenting.

-Johnny Walker, 34 of Bend, held without bail on parole and probation violations.

The Hills and Nicole Detroit were arrested at the home during the raid, which took until around midnight, while Peters left at the time and was found nearby, hiding on a neighbor’s property, Petersen said.

The six other suspects were arrested or cited at locations around Deschutes County that the lieutenant said could not be divulged due to the ongoing investigation.

“The Redmond Police Department is committed to making Redmond one of the safest communities in Oregon by improving the quality of life in our community,” Petersen wrote in a news release. “One way we can improve the quality of life is by having no tolerance for illegal drug activities.”

Anyone with drug information to share was urged to contact Redmond police at 541-504-3400 or through the county’s non-emergency dispatch number, 541-693-6911.