Birmingham - A tommy gun, grenade launcher, and 18 pit bulls aren't usually confiscated in drug raids. But they were in Jefferson County.

Sheriff Mike Hale says the bust shows how important a fully staffed department is in keeping drugs and weapons off the street.

There's a home on the 900 block of Idlewood Road in Huffman. It appears to be a typical Huffman home. But a tommy gun a

"Those type of weapons are crime weapons. They aren't for personal protection," said Johnny Graffio who lives nearby.

Over a two week period, police raided five homes.

Eighteen bruised pit bulls were found in a yard on the 1100 block of Roosevelt Avenue in Mulga. Police believe they were run on a treadmill inside the home and trained to fight. Inside that same home, a grenade launcher, a rifle, several automatic guns, electronics, gun magazines and drugs were discovered. That's also where Brandon Gibson, LaQuano Reynolds, Sidney Foy, and Cuba Goldman, Jr. were arrested.

On the 1300 block of Smith Street in Brighton, drugs, electronics and drugs were confiscated. Roderick Den Cole was arrested.

A tommy gun, rifle, pistol, magazines, and 10 boxes of ammunition were found inside the Idlewood Road home in Huffman. Ten thousand dollars in cash, drugs, and jewelry were discovered. Kevin Leonard Thomas was arrested.

On the 300 block of 57th Street in Fairfield, drugs were taken and Mark Larriett was taken into custody.

And Curtis Ray Washington was arrested on the 500 block of 78th Street North in East Lake. That's were a gun and drugs were found.

"This is an example of the fire power that is in each and every drug house," said Sheriff Hale of the weapons.

He says these raids will be hard to execute if the county commissioners cut the department's budget.

"Do you want a safe neighborhood and community? And cutting 20 million dollars next budget year would seriously impact that," said Sheriff Hale.

It's not exactly what people want to hear.

"I don't want it in my neighborhood. I don't want to worry about it," said Graffio.

Most of the people arrested in this raid are being held on nearly one million dollar bonds.

Gibson faces trafficking cocaine, receiving stolen property, and resisting arrest charges.

Reynolds faces charges for trafficking cocaine and receiving stolen property.

Goldman and Foy face trafficking cocaine charges.

Cole faces a charge of possession of marijuana, possession of controlled substance, possession of forged instrument, and failure to appear in court charges.

Thomas faces possession of marijuana and possession of controlled substances charges.

Larriett faces a charge of possession of marijuana.

Washington faces possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia charges.

 

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