Boarder
2/14/2007, 11:12 AM
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Meth. Why?
Crime: Raid of Purcell funeral home yields suspected drugs, arrests
CRIMINAL UNDERTAKING?
• Sheriff’s records indicate services had not been conducted at the site in months.
By Jennifer Griswold Staff Writer
PURCELL — Police raided a funeral home Tuesday, seizing drugs and arresting six people, including the home’s owner.
Methamphetamine, bags of marijuana and prescription drugs were found in the early morning raid by the McClain County sheriff’s office and Purcell police.
Charles Damet, 50, owner and operator of the Yoakum-Damet Funeral Home, 310 W Main, was arrested on drugrelated warrants. Karen Skinner, 46; Robert Parton, 37; Nisha Parker, 32; Beth Adams, 46; and Deborah Johnson, 40, also were arrested in the bust.
All six remained in the McClain County jail Tuesday. Charges are pending.
The arrests came after a yearlong investigation by law enforcement officers. The inquiry began after a tip that a shipment of drugs had been delivered to the business, sheriff’s deputy David Turley said.
Police believe the funeral home was being used as a front for Damet’s drug business. Sheriff’s Detective Dan Huff said records indicate services hadn’t been conducted for months at the funeral home.
“As far as we can tell, the only business they were running out of there was drug distribution,” he said.
There were no bodies at the funeral home at the time of the raid, officials said.
Spokesmen at other funeral homes in the Purcell area said they were not aware Yoakum-Damet had not been conducting funerals.
Jim Wadley, owner of Wadley’s Funeral Service in Purcell, said his business had not received any referrals from Yoakum-Damet.
“I’m not one to watch and worry about what other funeral homes are doing,” Wadley said.
During the months of surveillance on the business, the funeral home’s hearses and family cars were frequently observed making early morning runs, usually after midnight, Huff said, adding he suspected the cars were being used to traffic drugs into Purcell.
Investigators found drugs both in the funeral home and connected living quarters where Damet resided, officials said.
Six gallon plastic bags of marijuana, several grams of “Mexican Ice”
methamphetamine and bottles of prescription drugs were found. Exact amounts weren’t known Tuesday, nor was an estimated street value of the drugs. Scales, plastic bags, needles and various other drug paraphernalia also was found, Huff said. Computers and files were seized.
Damet, Skinner, Parton, Parker, Adams and Johnson all were booked into the McClain County jail on complaints of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school, possession of a controlled dangerous substance
within the presence of a minor, maintaining a dwelling where a controlled dangerous substance is kept and possession of a scanner and firearm while committing a felony.
A 3-year-old girl was in the business at the time of the raid, Turley said. She was taken into protective custody.
Damet serves on the city’s planning commission and hospital board, authorities said.
The funeral home, which is near Purcell High School, was a long-established business, started by the Yoakum family in 1932. Damet joined the business in later years.
Purcell. Wow.
Meth. Why?
Crime: Raid of Purcell funeral home yields suspected drugs, arrests
CRIMINAL UNDERTAKING?
• Sheriff’s records indicate services had not been conducted at the site in months.
By Jennifer Griswold Staff Writer
PURCELL — Police raided a funeral home Tuesday, seizing drugs and arresting six people, including the home’s owner.
Methamphetamine, bags of marijuana and prescription drugs were found in the early morning raid by the McClain County sheriff’s office and Purcell police.
Charles Damet, 50, owner and operator of the Yoakum-Damet Funeral Home, 310 W Main, was arrested on drugrelated warrants. Karen Skinner, 46; Robert Parton, 37; Nisha Parker, 32; Beth Adams, 46; and Deborah Johnson, 40, also were arrested in the bust.
All six remained in the McClain County jail Tuesday. Charges are pending.
The arrests came after a yearlong investigation by law enforcement officers. The inquiry began after a tip that a shipment of drugs had been delivered to the business, sheriff’s deputy David Turley said.
Police believe the funeral home was being used as a front for Damet’s drug business. Sheriff’s Detective Dan Huff said records indicate services hadn’t been conducted for months at the funeral home.
“As far as we can tell, the only business they were running out of there was drug distribution,” he said.
There were no bodies at the funeral home at the time of the raid, officials said.
Spokesmen at other funeral homes in the Purcell area said they were not aware Yoakum-Damet had not been conducting funerals.
Jim Wadley, owner of Wadley’s Funeral Service in Purcell, said his business had not received any referrals from Yoakum-Damet.
“I’m not one to watch and worry about what other funeral homes are doing,” Wadley said.
During the months of surveillance on the business, the funeral home’s hearses and family cars were frequently observed making early morning runs, usually after midnight, Huff said, adding he suspected the cars were being used to traffic drugs into Purcell.
Investigators found drugs both in the funeral home and connected living quarters where Damet resided, officials said.
Six gallon plastic bags of marijuana, several grams of “Mexican Ice”
methamphetamine and bottles of prescription drugs were found. Exact amounts weren’t known Tuesday, nor was an estimated street value of the drugs. Scales, plastic bags, needles and various other drug paraphernalia also was found, Huff said. Computers and files were seized.
Damet, Skinner, Parton, Parker, Adams and Johnson all were booked into the McClain County jail on complaints of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute within 2,000 feet of a school, possession of a controlled dangerous substance
within the presence of a minor, maintaining a dwelling where a controlled dangerous substance is kept and possession of a scanner and firearm while committing a felony.
A 3-year-old girl was in the business at the time of the raid, Turley said. She was taken into protective custody.
Damet serves on the city’s planning commission and hospital board, authorities said.
The funeral home, which is near Purcell High School, was a long-established business, started by the Yoakum family in 1932. Damet joined the business in later years.
Purcell. Wow.