John L. McNeal, left, Jeffrey C. Sitton and Michael K. Sitton, right, at their bail hearing in Lewis County Superior Court.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Law enforcement officers searched a Centralia residence yesterday and a car belonging to a rural Chehalis man at the end of a methamphetamine dealing investigation, with three men finding themselves charged today in Lewis County Superior Court.
John L. McNeal, 28, is charged with possession based on three baggies with residue found in his vehicle as well as six counts of delivery of a controlled substance connected with alleged purchases made by police informants over the past year. Bail for the rural Chehalis man was set at $20,000.
Police found glass pipes with residue at the 800 block of Wayne Drive in Centralia in the detached garage residence and the bedroom of Jeffrey C. Sitton, 31, and Michael K. Sitton, 33, according to charging documents.
At the home, they also located a 9 mm handgun and two shotguns, one of which was described as having a sawed off barrel, but no firearm charges were filed.
Jeffrey C. Sitton’s bail this afternoon was also set at $20,000.
He was charged with five counts of delivery and one of possession. The delivery allegations consist of instances when a confidential informant met up with him and McNeal, usually at Wayne Drive, but also outside Picasso Brothers in Centralia, according to the documents.
Both men have prior drug convictions.
Michael K. Sitton has no criminal history, but is now charged with one count of delivery connected to a November 2012 instance in which an informant allegedly met him and McNeal at the detached garage. He is charged with possession as well.
His bail was set at $10,000.
Charging documents also allege that last week, an informant told a detective they could purchase meth and a gun from McNeal and the younger Sitton and in the process obtained a .357 pistol which turned out to be stolen.
The investigations were conducted by the Centralia Police Department and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Their arraignments are set for next week.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter