For the second time this year a Kingsport mother and son have been arrested after bath salts were allegedly seized from their home — with police estimating the latest haul's street value at nearly $15,000.
At approximately 11:30 Tuesday night the Kingsport Police SWAT team descended on 1207 Camelia Ave., with assistance from both the DEA and Sullivan County Sheriff's Office Vice Division. The KPD reports that despite arresting Peggy Stallard, 53, and son Leslie Stallard, 36, on drug charges Jan. 29, police continued to receive information that the pair were peddling synthetic drugs.
The execution of Tuesday's search warrant allegedly discovered two large, plastic freezer bags filled with a white powdery substance, believed to be loose bath salts. KPD Vice Det. Nathan Elliott says the demand for synthetic drugs have went "through the roof" since Tennessee's ban on the substances last year, with police contacts telling officers the current going rate on the street is $100 a gram.
Police report the plastic bags seized from the Stallard's residence Tuesday night contained five ounces of bath salts — bringing its street value to more than $14,000.
Peggy and Leslie Stallard were each arrested and charged with maintaining a dwelling where illegal substances are sold, stored or used and possession drug paraphernalia. Additional charges are pending the results of lab testing to verify the substances in the bag, which the Stallard's allegedly admitted was bath salts.
Police say they also confiscated from the residence $1,200 cash, believed to be the proceeds of selling drugs, while two additional people present were cited and released on drug paraphernalia charges.
The Stallards were previously arrested Jan. 29 of this year. KPD Vice had allegedly received multiple complaints of suspicious activity at their Camelia Avenue home, including excessive pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Kingsport officers reportedly knocked on their door and Peggy Stallard "invited them in." Police say they immediately observed numerous syringes, glass pipes and residue in plain view, prompting them to ask for and receive consent to conduct a search.
Officers allegedly discovered 11 individual bags labeled "Dragon" insect repellent, a known bath salts product, along with pills, Suboxone strips and drug paraphernalia. Police say that while Peggy Stallard was being booked into jail they located "numerous" additional packets of bath salts stashed in her bra.
Det. Elliott said the packages of bath salts seized in the January bust were believed to have been purchased in North Carolina. Police are still investigating the origins of the loose bath salts allegedly found in Tuesday's search.