Bernard Harris said he didn’t know what he did to be arrested today.

The Halifax County Sheriff’s Office said the 78-year-old Roanoke Rapids man allegedly makes a profit from selling Oxycodone.

Harris was one of 14 people arrested this morning during Operation Heat Wave, a follow-up to an undercover operation that began in May.

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The man, who lives on Smith Church Road, was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver schedule II, sell schedule II, deliver schedule II and maintaining a dwelling to keep a controlled substance.

He was jailed on $12,500 bond and, like all those arrested this morning, has a February 6 court date.

Harris at the sheriff's office.

“Prescription medication has been on the rise,” said Lieutenant Scott Hall of the sheriff’s office, which coordinated the multi-jurisdictional operation that included Roanoke Rapids and Weldon police and state probation officers. “It’s so easy to acquire.”

Hall said Harris has been a person of interest within law enforcement and the sheriff’s office has received numerous complaints of him allegedly selling prescription medication.

Asked whether he was surprised an elderly man was among those arrested, Hall said, “No, sir. There’s no age restriction to selling pills, making a profit for selling controlled substances.”

*****

The effort to make the arrests began this morning with a briefing at the Halifax-Northampton County Regional Airport on Grapevine Road.

Hall told the assembled officers there were 28 cases among 20 people while Chief Deputy Wes Tripp told the officers, “We appreciate the hard work you’ve been doing. We appreciate all the cooperation from probation, Roanoke Rapids and all the other officers.

Tripp, who carried reporters with him in his patrol car, said the campaign started in early May and was based on intelligence gathered by officers.

Officers look at suspect sheets.

That intelligence led to undercover buys of mostly crack cocaine. “They were mostly street level buys,” he said.

While crack remains popular, Operation Burnout, a federal level campaign, put a major dent in the market, Tripp said.

Because of that, the sheriff’s office is starting to see an increase in the heroin trade.

Once the mainstay commodity in Scotland Neck, Tripp said, “We’re starting to see it throughout the county.”

Whether Operation Summer Heat Wave will result in a deeper federal investigation like Operation Burnout is an unknown at this point.

*****

As officers traveled throughout the county — from Roanoke Rapids and Scotland Neck to Enfield and Medoc — Tripp followed officers to Cedar Street in Roanoke Rapids to round up Nathaniel Moore Jr., a 22-year-old man who actually lives on Vance Street.

Moore is led to a patrol car.

A woman on her porch, presumably a family member, was on her cell phone. “Boy, what you done do,” she could be heard saying. “All the police is at my house.”

The woman watched as Moore was put in a patrol car to face charges in Halifax of felony sell marijuana, felony deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. He was locked up on $3,000 bond.

 *****

At the sheriff’s office, the arrestees were booked and bonded at the magistrate’s office.

Outside, probation officers escorted Christopher Hill of Hollister, an 18-year-old who was charged with felony sell marijuana, felony deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana.

Hill shields his face.

As he was escorted in, he covered his face as rrspin.com took his photograph. He was jailed on $5,000.

Watching the processing, Tripp again praised the cooperative effort of the bust.

“It’s a lot easier when we get to work together,” said Roanoke Rapids narcotics agent Jamie Hardy.

“It definitely helps us as far as sharing information,” Daniel Hundley, who partners with Hardy, said.

*****

Back on the road, Tripp took reporters to Heritage Lane off Highway 48 to roundup Aaron Ashe, a 22-year-old man who was charged with two counts of felony sell marijuana, two counts deliver marijuana, two counts possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, felony sell cocaine, felony deliver cocaine, possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and simple posession of marijuana.

Ashe is cuffed.

The charges were all related to alleged crack sales, Hall said, and Ashe was jailed on $17,500 bond.

One of the last places Tripp took reporters was to 209 Ransome Circle in the Scoco Park community of Weldon.

Considered a nuisance by the Weldon Police Department, this time there were no arrests made at the address, typically called the Community House, although there were several people from the Scoco Park community arrested in the sting.

*****

Back at the airport, Hall went over the lists of those arrested.

They are:

Antoine Richardson, 28, of Weldon, who was charged with two counts of sell cocaine, two counts delivery cocaine and two counts possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. He was jailed on $10,000 bond.

David Richardson, 26, of the Medoc Area who was charged with sell marijuana, felony deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. He received a $5,000 bond.

Travis Shearin, 29, of the Scoco Park community who was charged with sell cocaine, deliver cocaine, and possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. His bond information was not immediately available.

Robert Donte Johnson, 20, of the Medoc community, who was charged with felony selling marijuana, deliver marijuana and possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana. He was jailed on $20,000 bond.

Jaquan Devon Wiley, 18 of the Medoc community, who was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana, sell marijuana and deliver marijuana. He was jailed on $10,000 bond.

Jeffery Brown, 29, of Franklin Street, Roanoke Rapids, who was charged with sell cocaine, deliver cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. He was jailed on $10,000 bond.

Levall Davis, 28, of the Scoco Park community, who was charged with felony possession of cocaine, sell cocaine, deliver cocaine and manufacture, sell and deliver cocaine within 100 feet of a school, the school being Weldon High. He was jailed on $10,000 bond.

Kelvin Williams, 29, of Scotland Neck, who was charged with sell cocaine, deliver cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. He was jailed on $5,000 bond.

Leon Banks, 48, of Weldon, who was charged with possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine, deliver cocaine and sell cocaine. He was jailed on $5,000 bond.

Kenny Epps, 30, of Roanoke Rapids, who was charged with sell cocaine, deliver cocaine and possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine. He was jailed on $17,500 bond.