JASON — A controlled drug purchase was nearly foiled on Thursday when an unmarked patrol car was spotted by a suspect.
The suspect had made arrangements for a drug buy with an informant and agreed to meet at a designated location about 11:30 p.m., Greene County Detective Charles Boyette said.
As the suspect waited at the location on N.C. 903 South, a car drove by, spooking the suspect who turned his car lights off, drove away and threw a plastic grocery-type bag out the window, Boyette said.
“He saw an unmarked deputy car,” Boyette said. “He knew what he saw.”
About a half-mile down the road, the suspect was apprehended as the detective rushed to gather up hydrocodone pills — an opium-based prescription pain-reliever.
Boyette said he retrieved 9.5 of the 21 pills that were supposed to be sold at the scene, as well as 2.1 ounces of marijuana.
Christopher Paul Clark, 24, of 128 Brandy Ave., La Grange, and his passenger, Chrystal Stroud, 28, of Mount Olive, were both arrested.
Each of the suspects were charged early Friday morning with trafficking and conspiring to traffic opium/heroin, conspiring to sell and deliver a schedule VI controlled substance — a total of four counts on each suspect.
In addition, Clark was also charged with alter/steal/destroy criminal evidence for having allegedly thrown the goods out the window.
Clark was placed under an $80,000 secured bond, while Stroud’s bail was set at $60,000 secured.
They are scheduled to appear in Greene County District Court Aug. 30.
Clark was convicted in 2009 for a series of break and enters in Carteret County and served two years. He was convicted in 2008 for similar charges in Craven County and served 13 months.
He was also convicted in April 2009 for possession of a weapon of mass destruction in July 2009 for operating a vehicle without a license and possession of a malt beverage under age 21 in Wayne County. He served 18 months and two months, respectively.
Margaret Fisher can be reached at 252-559-1082 or Margaret.Fisher@Kinston.com. Follow her on Twitter @MargaretFishr.