A Crime Stoppers tip led to a dresser with a magnetically sealed hidden compartment—but just like magicians, alleged drug dealers never reveal their secrets.
On July 3, 2024 officers from District 1 executed search warrants on residences in the 300 block of Douglas Park Boulevard S.E., the 6700 block of Elbow Drive S.W., and on 2022 Dodge Ram Rebel.
Jada Dee Pearce, 45, was arrested by police and charged with two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking and one count of proceeds of crime.
He was accused by police of hiding drugs inside a secret compartment.
During the investigation officers had discovered a stand up dresser in the arrestee’s residence with two magnets sitting nearby.
Sergeant Derek Coffyne and the rest of the investigative team were able to determine that when the magnets were slid along the top of the dresser, they unlocked a mechanism to reveal a hidden compartment.
“The dresser was the first one I’d seen. But as far as hides go, they’re quite common. I mean obviously drug dealers and people who are in that kind of business want to hide their product, not only from the police, but also rivals,” said Srgt. Coffyne.
The dresser contained an estimated $9,030 street distribution worth of methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine and fentanyl.
Investigators said they also found $1,105 cash, scales, baggies, cell phones, and a soda can with a false bottom.
“We’ve seen hiding spots of all sorts, like plugins that actually pop out with a little hide in there,” said Srgt. Coffyne.
Although it seems like an extensive amount of effort to go through to hide contraband, this was not even the most complex hiding spot Srgt. Coffyne had encountered, he said.
“Sometimes it’ll be some sort of hydraulics, and you have to turn the lights on and off four times, and the radio twice, and there’s some sort of sequence that basically only they know.”
Mechanisms can often be located with the help of Drug Detection Dogs (DDD) of the canine unit. These dogs are usually selected from labradors or doodles for their exceptional sense of smell and differ from their more intimidating Police Service Dog (PSD) counterparts.
“We only have a certain number of drug dogs, and there’s hundreds and hundreds of search warrants every year,” said Srgt. Coffyne.
Pearce is expected next in court on August 2, 2024 with additional pending charge.
Information like the tip provided for this case are always helpful to CPS cases like this one. Crime Stoppers also rewards up to $2000 for information depending on the outcome brought from the information.
