The Walker County Sheriff’s Department arrested 11 people in early January during a high intensity criminal enforcement operation which spanned countywide.

Sheriff Clint McRae said the arrests occurred between Jan. 4 and Jan. 11 and included four previously known suspects from the Riverside area, and several Huntsville, Trinity and Bedias residents.

“The operation actually began in Riverside on Jan. 4 at 6 p.m.,” McRae said. “On that date, we’d previously obtained probable cause to execute a search warrant at 2426 FM 980 East in Riverside, a known dope house in the Riverside area.

“We arrested the owner of the residence, 78-year-old Wade Lee Jr., and it was at that residence that we made three additional arrests.

“In addition to the four arrests, we also recovered 2.2 grams of crack cocaine which were in a prescription bottle, a misdemeanor quantity of marijuana and $2,003 in United States currency, which is believed to be funds from the distribution of narcotics.”

Lee was arrested on possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony, and on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

Also present at the residence was Marilyn Williams, 54, who was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance, a third-degree felony charge, and with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The third individual, 57-year-old Ella Mae Reece, was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor, and possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

The fourth individual — Billy Ray Alexander, 53 — was arrested and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, a Class C misdemeanor.

“We’ve arrested Lee many times on narcotics charges, and he was actually supposed to report to the Walker County Jail the following Monday, so we saved him a trip,” McRae said. “The crack cocaine is suspected to belong to Lee, as well, even though it was found in Williams’ possession.”

McRae said the individuals arrested at Lee’s residence are well-known to the department.

“I personally have been dealing with these individuals for 10 to 12 years,” he said. “I feel like this was a really good lick, because these arrests could very well lead to the arrests of other users and dealers within our community, pending investigation.”

McRae said the operation continued Jan. 11 with the arrests of seven individuals.

Riverside resident Richard Williams Worley Jr., 43, was charged with possession of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor, and was also cultivating marijuana on his property.

“In addition to Worley, we made four DWI arrests and arrested two individuals with outstanding warrants,” McRae said. “Because we’re not looking for any certain kind of offense, just the violation of the law, we end up with a lot of different types of arrests.”

Jeffrey Allen Goodwin, 27, John Ashley, 30, Kenneth Wayne Fish, 51, and Richard Garza Padron, 39, were each charged with DWIs.

Goodwin and Ashley are Huntsville residents, and Fish and Padron reside in the Trinity area.

In addition, Mandy Lea Bonvillion, 25, was arrested on an outstanding Class C misdemeanor, and James Lamar Daves Jr., 31, was arrested on an outstanding Class B misdemeanor.

“In addition to the Sheriff’s Department, we were assisted by constables John Wayne Hooks, Reed Prehoda, Steve Hill and Gene Bartee, as well as Huntsville Police Department Officer Blane Rodgers and the Texas Department of Public Safety,” McRae said. “Federal Forest Ranger James Scott also assisted us.”

McRae said the high intensity criminal enforcement operations would continue in the future.

“We will continue these types of operations throughout the county as we obtain additional information,” he said. “Under its current administration, our department has made more narcotics arrests than ever before in department history, and I’m proud of that.”