A Diana woman who operated a bail bond firm, and a man living with her, were arrested last week when authorities found narcotics and at least one stolen gun at their residence, said Upshur County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy David Hazel.
The sheriff’s office arrested Shannon Rosser, also known as Shannon Rosser-Barnett, 50, and John Ed Sartor Jr., 30, on July 16, Hazel said. Upshur officers visited the pair’s home concerning a report of a disturbance there, and discovered items which helped lead to multiple law enforcement agencies executing a search warrant, said the chief deputy.
Rosser, who has operated Second Chance Bail Bonds out of the Ore City area, was charged with three felonies, he said. They included manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance (over four, but under 200 grams of methamphetamine), manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance (over one, but under four grams of suspected cocaine) and possession of a stolen firearm.
Sartor was charged only with one count of manufacture/delivery of a controlled substance–over four, but under 200 grams of methaphetamine, the chief deputy added.
Hazel said both suspects remained in county jail at Gilmer Monday under bonds set by Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace Lyle Potter. Rosser’s bonds were $150,000 on the drug charge, $20,000 on the firearm charge.
Hazel gave this account of events surrounding the arrests:
When officers responded to the disturbance call, they discovered a stolen gun with narcotics, leading authorities to seek and execute the search warrant. That in turn resulted in discovering more drugs and “items common to” distributing narcotics.
“Deputies confiscated over 20 other firearms found in a detached storage building at the location,” Hazel wrote. “Follow-up investigation will be done to determine the proper ownership of these items.”
One factor in executing the search warrrant was an ongoing investigation of Rosser, and authorities were still investigating both her and Sartor “in connection to narcotics.”
“Shannon Rosser had operated for a long while as a bail bondsman while in Upshur County under the company name of Second Chance Bail Bonds. Her activities and associations with known area drug dealers had come to the atttention of the sheriff’s office several months ago,” and in May, Sheriff Larry Webb notified Rosser her bonding privileges in the Upshur jail were terminated.
“The investigation is ongoing. The sheriff’s office will follow up on information gained at the scene along with other intelligence gathered over several months,” Hazel wrote in a press release.
Law enforcement officers participating in the case besides Upshur sheriff’s deputies included the Upshur sheriff’s office’s Special Investigations Unit (comprised of county and Ore City police personnel), Tyler Task Force agents of the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, and Texas Department of Public Safety agents, said Hazel.
By Phillip Williams