Brandon Piatt, of Glenoma, sits with defense attorney Bob Schroeter in Lewis County Superior Court. Behind him are James and Sherri Hamrick, both of Packwood.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Four of the individuals scooped up in a crack down on drug dealing in the east end of Lewis County were charged yesterday with delivery of methamphetamine; one young woman was released with no charges after spending a night in jail.
Law enforcement officers from multiple agencies, including the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team traveling in an armored personnel carrier, arrested eight people on Thursday in a sweep through Packwood and Morton.
The action followed a three-month investigation by the Lewis County Regional Drug Task Force, which had been conducting undercover drug buys, according Sheriff Steve Mansfield.
Officers served a search warrant that morning at the 100 block of Edmonds Road in Packwood where they detained three people, James D. Hamrick, 29; Sherri J. Hamrick, 46; and Amaris R. Smith, 21, according to the sheriff’s office.
While Smith was arrested for alleged possession of methamphetamine, she was not charged because there were no drugs found on her, Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Shane O’Rourke said.
The rest of those arrested appeared before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court in Chehalis yesterday afternoon.
James Hamrick was charged with two counts of delivery of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to deliver. He has several felony convictions from the past, according to O’Rourke; Judge James Lawler set his bail at $50,000.
Sherri Hamrick was charged with four counts of delivery of methamphetamine and one count possession with intent to deliver. Her bail was set at $15,000. Prosecutors said she has no criminal history.
Venus D. Hamilton, 48, of Morton, was charged yesterday with delivery of methamphetamine.
In June, the sheriff’s office called Hamilton one of two main narcotics distributors in the east end when she was arrested and charged with selling methamphetamine, but those charges were dismissed after prosecutors has problems with the informant, according to O’Rourke.
“She lost her car and she was warned if she continued and persisted, she would be caught again,” O’Rourke told the judge.
Lawler set her bail on the new charge at $10,000.
Two of the eight were arrested only for unrelated warrants for failing to appear in court. The judge set bail at $10,000 for Effren E. Barron, 40, and at $3,000 for Bradley J. Miller, 35, of Packwood.
Two individuals were arrested around noon on Thursday on the 6300 block of U.S. Highway 12 in Morton.
Brandon Piatt, 31, of Glenoma was charged yesterday with four counts of delivery of methamphetamine and ordered held on $30,000 bail. Sheila Schmitt, 44, of Morton, was not charged in connection with his alleged drug dealing, according to O’Rourke.
However, charges were filed yesterday against both for drug possession related to a June arrest. Schmitt’s bail was set at $10,000, unsecured, for possession of methamphetamine. Piatt’s additional charges were for possession of methamphetamine, hyrocodone and another prescription drug, according to O’Rourke.
Piatt and James Hamrick remain in the Lewis County Jail.
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See Thursday’s news story, “Drug task force arrests eight in East End” here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I just wanted to pop in and say “Hey George” and “Susan Sargent” In case you didn’t get the memo, I beat my case in court, with Lewis Counties “CI” testifying against me on the stand. They as usual had no case, just hear say. So keep believing in your faulty law enforcement from lewis county, it is hard to win a case when you are trying a person who is a targeted person and set up, by corrupt law enforcement. Maybe you should reconsider your stand, as it is behind corrupt officials, and a failing system. Next time make sure the one you criticize is guilty, and the ones that you stand behind are honest with the public, and yourselves. I hope that you never get entrapped with in the corrupt system, although it would probably humble you to the point of acting like a real human being. Susan, there is no hope for you, you will soon be, if not already, in your own hell with no family, it is your bad, and your KARMA, and you know what I am talking about. Good luck with all that…………………..hahahaha. Hey, but thanks for all of your concern and comments, I will cherish what you have said, and look back on it often for a good laugh. No Hope For Sheople Type People.
I just think its sad all the way around. Brandon and the other people made the choice to do the actions that got them locked up. I don’t feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for the children and families that are left without them. Like Brandons daughter who has gone years without seeing him over his choices and stupidity.
Wow, Vhamilton, you need to go back to school and learn how to spell and use the English language in the correct manner. Just saying…
I want the same things you do free air. It just seems to me that law enforcement, after like 30 some yrs could have exterminated the problem by now. It’s like some kind of game that goes on and on.
I do care about this county and the people in it. I may sound like I’m “out there”, but like you said free air, you don’t have to believe anything I say. But there is corruption going on at some level. It needs to be exterminated right along with the tweeks/dopers etc… I want the same things as the rest of the honest citizens of this county. Get rid of the rotten bullshit, wherever/whoever it may be. Children aren’t safe. No one is when you can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.
Just because you say it does not make it true.
Your anomalous “facts” are from rumors, thieves and dopers trying to blame every one and every thing else for their problems. There is no vast conspiracy to keep the drug trade alive in Lewis County, only dealers, users and thieves who continue to choose this life style at every honest citizen’s expense. I just hope those children who live there somehow get a real chance at a childhood from parents who care. That should not be such a tough thing to expect.
There are people I’m sure that are reading this and know what I’m talking about. The feds…EPA…all those things could happen. But who is going to believe a tweek, right? Even one who’s been clean for 20 yrs? I believe her because she has no reason to lie to me. You all have no reason to believe her or me. There is more to this meth racket shit than meets the eye. I for one am not going to put all my trust and faith into law enforcement (local) than they deserve.
I wish I could name names, but it could hurt loved ones or get someone killed. I just felt I had to say what I know. My friend cries at times because she knows if she spoke out no one would believe her because of her past. BTW…she paid her dues in life and may even be sitting in front of you at church. maybe some current tweek would like to speak up? They wouldn’t have as much to lose…..
Commoncents: I would run and change things if I had the $ and proper background and “connections”.
Free air….you’re naive. I am not on drugs, mental, or medicated or need to be. I am a tax paying citizen born and raised in this county. I have seen things I wish I’d never seen and heard things I wish I never heard. But the fact remains there are “not so nice” people in the law enforcement here that do this type of thing. Don’t assume they all fly straight. I do have a very good friend who was heavily into the meth scene at one time. She has been clean for a long time. She has pointed out to me so many houses she used to live at in Lewis and Thurston counties where meth was cooked and chemicals dumped. Some of the properties had the houses torn down and have been rebuilt on. Contaminated soil that perhaps children you know are playing in. She also informed me how crooked some of the law is/was in her day. How they would let her alone if she gave them a “BJ” etc…How they would give her heads up on busts.
Cleaver 1,
It’s a truly strange world you must live in if you believe that there is some vast conspiracy involving East end meth heads, the Federal Government and the men and women of our local law enforcement; especially one that involves extorting sex from meth heads. There’s a reason law enforcement gloves up before touching the clothing of these drug infested people. To say that they would want to put their bodies against such meth infested women in exchange for not going to jail is so far away from anything a normal thinking person would come up with, we can only assume your brain damaged from drugs or have serious mental problems. I hope 2012 is the year your able to get the professional, and not self administrated medical attention you seem to need. Please take care of yourself.
Cleaver1 – If you don’t like it run for office and change it.
Ya know… Law enforcement in Lewis Co has been corrupt since the 50’s. They have been just as bad as any of the criminals. Not saying all, but those in higher power are for sure. There are those in power now and some who were in power and retired, that are extorting sex with tweekers and even giving out information on who they’re going after! HEADS UP you say? You betcha. I too believe they just did enough to get a “atta boy” from the community, especially after the Booth trial. They know who the big players are…the cooks….they’re the ones that are destroying the county, poisoning it and keeping tweekers in supply. I’m sure if they were to bust them that the whole system would be brought down. The federal gov. and epa and all kinds of shit would swoop in here and prob shut down the whole county! Now that would be news hu? I wish that one honest cop/sherriff would blow the lid off the whole sham of LC law enforcement. So you see, one racket is no better than the other.
Good show of force guys, but let’s be honest thats all it really was. I know for a fact that that you could have arrested 90% of edmonds rd residents in Packwood. Seeing these miniscule arrest of the people that everyone knows as tweekers seems like doing just a lil something to satisfy the public outcry. You’re gonna roll through town in a APC for some small time tweeks? Really? How much did that cost? We all know you’ve gotta have job security so you leave some of those cooks and big timers out there but you can do better then bustin some dime dealin lowlifes that everyone knew were up to no good in the first place. C’mon guys you’re better than that, atleast I hope so. That being said I hope to see some serious busts in the following week so i can regain a little faith in law enforcement. Think big, you can do it!
George…I don’t know you but keep up the good work. Your comments are great and anybody reading them( and then VHamilton’s replies) can sure tell you’re getting under her skin.
My name is not spelled SERGANT. Gee Venus, don’t ya like me? I believe I know WAY too much about you and I dearly hope and pray you get put away. If anybody deserves it you do. Lewis County people keep up the good work. Venus…make dam sure you go to trial and have a jury of your peers. You deserve that too.
My sentiments exactly, “sickofthegame”.
To Venus, you just keep thinking those happy thoughts, sunshine. You’ll find out it’s going to be a bit different this time. Your denial is catching up….
Maybe your not quite as smart as you think you are Venus. Your not even quite sure of what theyre gonna drop on you yet. And your already making the statement that your going all the way to trial.
Your right about people grabbing the plea bargains cause theyre afraid of a trial outcome. The county chews em up and spits em out continuously with their plea bargains. But…..there are times when a plea bargain is a blessing you know.
You still gonna go to trial if that happens to you, or are you gonna have to eat your words in front of George and everybody?
Well, well George. First off they hand out plea-bargains all the time. This is why 99 percent of Lewis County’s Convictions are self convicted. Most people take that plea bargain. I wonder just how many of those cases would have actualy been won by the courts if the defendant would have taken it all the way to the box? Any way, you are so sure about the Law and their right charges. Doesn’t it raise a red flag to you when they have a person of interest for 16 years and have nothing on that person. That is a lot of waisted time and waiste of tax payers money on one person, when their are bigger fish and several murders in Lewis County in the last 3 years and not even a quarter of them have been solved. but, Whatever! You people will always be shallow on your way of thinking, always believing in the Law and how honest, and true they are.
Look, Lewis county has had a hard on for me for, quote “person of interest for 16 years.” “they are pretty sure that I am doing what they think I am doing” what ever that means. The only thing I have been doing is not changing my association. I have stayed the same for 20 years. I haven’t been dealing drugs or delivering drugs. I think that their 16 years has turned into a personal issue, a vendeta, they are mad because they have been chasing a lost cause. If in fact I had been delivering or dealing, I sures the hell would not be commenting on a public website. I think that I would be just laying low and not trying to defend myself because of my guilt. But, I am not guilty of these aligations so, there fore I will continue to defend myself and try to make aware to the people that the Officers elected to be in charge of peoples safety are no better than the real criminals, especially when they resort to “profiling.”
As far as my car goes! I Forfieted my vehicle. Gave it to them. Although they stole it from me. When I forfieted my car a person inquired on buying it. Snaza didnt know what they were going to do with it. He took the gentlemans name and number said he would find out then give him a call. The very next morning the gentleman recieved a call from Snaza. Snaza says to the man “we can sell you the car for $795.00 our fees, but first we will have to return the car to Miss Hamilton, she will have to sell it to you, and of course there would be a contract between Miss Hamilton and Us, to ensure our fee.” wow! give it back to me to sell it to another! Why would they have to do that? Sounds to me like they cant do anything with my car because they do not have any of the proper procedual paper work for having my car. hhhhmmmmm! I dont know, probably wrong, but really makes a person have to ask “WHY”, dont ya think. Now without a car, makes me ask about this new delivery charge? Where did I deliver, to whom did I deliver, and how exactly did I deliver? Was I in a vehicle, bike, walking? All this new charge is sure odd, coming just less than a week after the last charges were dismissed. Those charges were dismissed by the way because thier confidential informant proceeded to commit more dishonest crimes against people WHILE under contract with Lewis County Task Force. So yes, they were dismissed without prejuduce, to maybe bring back on a later day, but I dont think that they will, they dont have a leg to stand on with that dishonest, non-credible CI. So they chumped up this here new charge. I guess we will all have to wait and see how this one plays out. I am only looking at max 16 months. Why? because I am not the big bad ass drug dealer that Lewis County wants for the people to believe. I will take it to the box. All the way to trial. I try never to be a statistic, I refuse to be part of Lewis County’s 99 percent self convicted.
Well, we’ll just wait and see what happens this time, eh? Somehow, I have a feeling that you won’t get off so easily this time, but that’s not up to me, it’s up to the prosecutors and the judges. Unless, of course, they just start handing out plea-bargains…
And to let you know, the last set of charges were “dismissed without prejudice”, which means they can revisit those charges at any time they want… maybe they will here?
And losing your car because of drugs… don’t you think that’s sending a message to you?
Hello George! Venus here. Trust me, if I had a computer I would have commented earlier. As you know the earlier charges against me were dismissed. I cant wait to here their cenario on this new delivery charge. After all, I have no vehicle to make deliveries, since at evidence hearing I Forfitted My Vehicle. I gave it up after my cross examination of Officer Humphreys and Snaza. Which went quite well I might add. I had Humphreys back peddling and Snaza red faced and angry. The whole thing was taped and Snaza stated that its a personal issue with Task Force and Venus Hamilton…hhmmmm! A person of interest for 16 years. Wow! Thats a long time to waiste the tax payers money on one person. And continually come up with nothing. I have 2 possession charges on my record, one from 1996, and one from 2007. The last recorded official “I do drugs” was in 1997. And I want to add, that officer Doug told my daughter that he was with a person that I delivered to. Thats funny, so this officer watched a crime be commited and did nothing. The Law cannot do that. I DID NOT MAKE A DELIVERY OF ANY SORT, TO ANYONE. NOT BEFORE THIS CHARGE OR THE OTHER ONE. SO CONTINUE WITH ALL OF YOU PEOPLES THOUGHTS AND COMMENTS, I FIND HUMOR IN READING THEM. THE SHALLOWNESS OF YOUR JUDGEMENTAL COMMENTS ARE THE BEST. NO FEAR, IM SURE I WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY LATER. ESPECIALLY TO YOU SUSAN SERGANT, YOU R A SICK AND TWISTED BITCH…ISSUES, ISSUES, ISSUES…
I’m thrilled that law enforcement is stepping up and addressing the drug problem in this county, but I wish they would get the big time folks instead if a few burned out meth heads…it seems like a lot of tax dollars spent to round these folks up and have them spend a few nights in jail when we all know they’ll be right back home in a few weeks doing the same thing as before. I sure hope some of these little guys give the info needed to catch the bigger fish…
I mean something bad 2 his family
I know Brandon and his family,although it’s been years since I have seen them..I hope and pray that he gets out of the drug game b4 something bad happens like it did 2 mine…The war on drug’s continue!