Craiglist ad leads to local heroin arrest

Published 9:30 pm Monday, May 5, 2014

NEWS_CRAIGS LIST HEROIN BUY_Miles Lemay_WEB

 

Craigslist is well known as a website where a buyer can find just about anything, from cars to jewelry to housing. Last week, investigators with the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office Drug Unit made the realization they could  find heroin being sold locally on the website, as well.

Miles Jacob Lemay, 23, of Chocowinity, was arrested last week after investigators answered an advertisement on Craigslist in which Lemay allegedly offered to sell heroin. According to a press release from the drug unit, one of their investigators posed as a potential buyer and purchased heroin and the prescription pain medication Oxycodone from Lemay.

According to a spokesman from the drug unit, this type of event does not happen very often.

“It’s not very common. At least, it’s not as open as Miles Lemay had put it. … But he was pretty direct in his request,” the spokesman said.

The case was brought to the drug unit’s attention by an investigator researching a completely different case, and it’s not the first time that technology has worked  for law enforcement. But with current technology, the particulars of any drug buy are worked out outside of the reach of investigators, according to the spokesperson. In the past, surveilling a phone booth where suspected drug dealers were known to set up transactions was the key to many drug busts, but with the proliferation of cell phones and computers, now tracking down dealers is a bit more challenging.

“We’re always having to stay on the front end of technology to make sure we know about new trends,” the spokesman said. “Most of our intelligence gathering is based on face to face interviews. But we have seized computers and cellphones and located evidence based on information on them.”

In two separate undercover drug buys, Lemay allegedly sold investigators 2.5 grams of heroin — roughly a $500 value — and 10 Oxycodone pills.

Lemay was charged with selling and delivering heroin and selling and delivering a Schedule II controlled substance. He was held at the Beaufort County jail under a $20,000 bond.