At about 8:10 p.m. Thursday officers from the South Central Drug task Force, assisted by the Rolla City Police Department and the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department served a search warrant on a resident in the 14000 block of County Road 2310 in rural St. James. The search warrant was issued after a short-term narcotics investigation.
The only person present at the residence was a man who claimed to be visiting and advised the primary resident had left shortly before the police arrived. During the course of the search the primary resident returned home and the visitor was identified as a roommate.
A number of items were located during the search which included precursors commonly associated with the creation of illegal drugs, drug paraphernalia and weapons. Both men were subsequently arrested.
The arrested men were Matthew David Pherigo II and Robert Alan Durrett both of who are 21 years old. There were transported to the Phelps County Jail and incarcerated, pending the issue of arrest warrant.
The narcotics investigation is on going.
Sheriff Rick Lisenbe expressed his appreciation to the Agents from the Task Force as well as the officers from the Rolla City Police Department for their continued support in the counties fight to take illegal drugs off the streets.
The offenses for which Pherigo and Durrett have been arrested for are merely accusations and not evidence of guilt. Evidence in support of these charges must be presented before a court of competent jurisdiction whose duty is to determine their guilt or innocence.
