Norfolk police make drug arrests in undercover sting

NORFOLK

One guy leaned against an outside wall at a Shop ’N Go. Another chomped on chicken and sipped a drink.

Most milling around the Liberty Street convenience store Friday didn’t see anything unusual about the two men hanging out and soaking in the warm spring day.

The deception worked.

The men were police officers and part of a two-day narcotics sting this week that was the culmination of seven weeks of undercover work.

Through Operation Silver Fox, police on Thursday arrested 26 on felony drug charges, seized three guns, and arrested three others who had drugs or outstanding warrants.

“This one we designed to hit several areas,” narcotics Sgt. Brian Atwood said. “We want cases that they’re going to plead because they just have overwhelming evidence on them.”

The three patrol officers who went undercover between March 8 and April 23 had to audition for the part by going out and making a drug buy while supervisors watched.

The sting targeted Oakdale Farms/Denby Park, Fairmont Park, Park Place, Berkley/Campostella, Olde Huntersville and Lindenwood. Police receive a lot of complaints about illegal drug sales in those neighborhoods, which is why they were picked.

In all, the undercover officers made 90 buys, mainly crack and heroin, leading to 47 being charged with crimes.

“We were just going out to buy dope,” said Investigator Roy Sharp, who helped plan the operation. “Sometimes we got five buys from one person.”

After the weeks of undercover work , a grand jury this week indicted the suspects who sold drugs to the undercover officers. The indictments were sealed.

On Thursday, about 60 officers from the department’s Vice and Narcotics Division were joined by patrol, SWAT and others to make the arrests.

For police, the war on drugs becomes tactical: keeping up with dealers’ changing cell phone numbers, surveillance, and both police and dealers staying out of sight until just the right moments.

One man was arrested on drug charges at Virginia Beach Boulevard and Wide Street after a uniformed officer told him he was being taken in on a misdemeanor warrant, Atwood said.

Police didn’t tell him he had been indicted on four felonies. If people found out the cops were doing a sweep, word would spread and other suspects would hide.

“We just use smoke and mirrors all the time,” said Atwood, who learned names, faces and how drug dealers operate when he worked on patrol in the Huntersville area.

Later Thursday, police arrested a suspect at his girlfriend’s apartment in the 1500 block of Berkley Avenue Extension.

“So that’s another one down,” said Atwood, getting arrest updates on his phone as the sting unfolded.

In the narcotics office, police steadily did paperwork and kept a list of arrests on a dry-erase board. Senior investigators in private rooms interviewed suspects who, facing significant prison time, were ready to talk.

Near the Berkley/Campostella Early Childhood Education Center and a school zone sign that reads “Drug free area,” undercover officers bought drugs from 16 different dealers.

“I don’t think we’ll ever win this drug game, especially with the resources we have and the profit margin,” Atwood said. “It’s so profitable for someone to do it.”

A crack dealer who spends $150 for an eighth of an ounce can make a $350 profit in a day or so, he said.

Still, Operation Silver Fox sends a message.

“We took some folks off the street,’’ Sharp said.

“If we end up making these arrests, you’re keeping somebody on their toes,” said Lt. Mike Felix. The operation was named after Felix because of his graying hair.

With drug dealers from several neighborhoods in jail, investigators tried to take advantage of the quiet on Friday morning at the convenience stores.

They arrested four at the Shop ’N Go on Virginia Beach Boulevard at Wide Street and one at the Shop ’N Go on East Liberty who tried to buy drugs.

The man eating chicken wings outside the store played the part of crack dealer.

“One more thing to kind of blend in ,” he later said of the wings he bought inside the store. The officer asked not to be named because he works undercover.

“You kind of develop your own way of doing it,” he said. “Once you’ve been out there a little bit, it comes pretty natural.”

Someone outside the store warned the undercover officer to be careful, because police were watching.

“I appreciate it, man,” he replied.

Patrick Wilson, (757) 222-3893, patrick.wilson@pilotonline.com

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