5 meth arrests evident of epidemic in area

Escambia County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the sheriff's office and other law enforcement agencies are working every day to combat the growing methamphetamine epidemic.

"Seems like we're making arrests every day," Lambert said. "But under the new sentencing guidelines most of these people are right back on the streets."

Lambert said deputies are not seeing many of the old meth labs since laws enacted to make it more difficult to obtain the chemicals have drastically curtailed that practice.

"What we're seeing now is Ice," Lambert said. "It's being manufactured in labs, primarily in Mexico, and shipped into the U.S."

Lambert said Ice is a purer form of meth, more potent and apparently easily accessible.

"Most people say we have an opioid epidemic and I agree, but meth is also at epidemic proportions," Lambert said. "We get a lot of complaints about meth and work every case."

Lambert said meth is a very addictive drug and the sheriff's office is doing everything it can to make it harder for people to get their hands on it.

Over the past several weeks, the sheriff's department has made multiple arrests for the unlawful possession of meth. They include:

Denver Graves

Denver Graves, 40, 270 Sawmill Road, Brewton, was arrested Tuesday and charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth) and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to sheriff's office reports, deputies were dispatched to the Yellow Hammer on Highway 113 about 7:45 p.m. in reference to a suspicious vehicle.

Contact was made with Graves in his parked car and with suspicion of illegal narcotics deputies asked and received permission to search his vehicle. Deputies reported finding a folded dollar bill in the console that contained a crystalline substance that later tested positive for meth. Deputies also found a straw in the vehicle that tested positive for meth.

Graves was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center and no bond had been set as of press time Wednesday.

Phillip Fullerton

Phillip Miles Fullerton, 31, of McCullough Road, was arrested May 21 and charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth), unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia and violation of probation.

According to sheriff's office reports, deputies and officers with the Poarch Police Department were dispatched to McCullough Road in reference to two subjects fighting. The report described the area as near the McCullough Volunteer Fire Department.

While on the scene deputies reported seeing Fullerton walk to the edge of the fire department building. Reports also noted the sheriff's office had received complaints of Fullerton trespassing on other people's property.

Deputies went to the area where Fullerton was standing and found a bag with a clear substance and a glass pipe that both tested positive for meth.

Fullerton was arrested and transported to the Escambia County Detention Center in Brewton where he remains on $10,000 bond.

Pamela Greifzu

Warren Nobles

Pamela Fowler Greifzu, 36, 5909 Chicago Ave., Pensacola, and Warren Nobles, 57, 2600 West Michigan Ave., Pensacola, were arrested on May 26 and each charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth) and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to sheriff's office reports, a deputy was on patrol on West Sunset Drive in Atmore about 6:40 p.m. when he noticed a red Mercedes parked on the side of the road near the railroad tracks. The two subjects, later identified as Greifzu and Nobles, were standing on the railroad tracks, walking and looking. The report said the two did not have a good explanation as to what they were doing.

The deputy asked the two if they had anything illegal in their vehicle and they said no and gave the deputy consent to search.

Inside the vehicle the deputy found a black and white bag that contained a syringe and blue plastic spoon that both tested positive for meth. The liquid substance inside the syringe also tested positive for meth.

Inside the same bag officers found two half of the prescription pill hydromorphone and a small brown rock believed to be heroine. The report noted the brown rock has been sent to the lab for testing.

Nobles and Greifzu remain in the Escambia County Detention Center on $5,000 bond each.

Mark Presley

Mark Daniel Presley, 54, 183 Horseshoe Circle, Atmore, was arrested May 19 and charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance (meth) and unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.

According to sheriff's office reports, a deputy was on patrol at 6:43 a.m. on James Road in the Nokomis community when he observed a vehicle traveling on the railroad right of way next to the tracks.

The report noted Presley was driving the vehicle and told the deputy he'd been to a person's property who had given him permission to fish. The deputy reported Presley was acting nervous.

Presley was asked if he had any weapons or drugs and replied no and gave permission to search. During a pat down he first refused to spread his legs. A small silver container then fell from his crotch area to the ground. The deputy reported feeling a knot in the waste band but Presley would not identify what the object was. It turned out to be a glass pipe. Inside the silver container, the deputy found two small plastic bags containing a clear substance that tested positive for meth.

Presley was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center and remains jailed on $10,000 bond.