WC Sheriff’s Office Drug Interdiction Strategy yields significant seizure

On December 19, 2022, at approximately 08:48 pm, Warren County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tyler Poe stopped a white 2016 Honda CRV on Chester Street in the Town of Front Royal for disobeying a stop sign. During the stop, Deputy Poe was assisted by K9 Deputy Sean Gagliardo and Sergeant John Gregory.

While speaking with the driver, Shannon Marie Doyle-Melvin (age 25) of Front Royal, deputies confirmed that her passenger, Brian Albarenga Alfero (age 22) of Front Royal, was wanted on several outstanding felony warrants from Warren and Rappahannock counties. A fifteen-year-old family member also occupied the vehicle.

A search of the vehicle revealed a 28-liter garbage bag full of individual bags of green leafy substance suspected to be marijuana. The garbage bag contained sixty-five one-ounce clear bags of purported marijuana.

Deputy Sean Gagliardo and Deputy Tyler Poe, with large quantities of illegal marijuana seized during a traffic stop and residential search on December 19, 2022.

A consensual search by Sheriff’s Office Deputies of a nearby private residence on the two hundred block of Chester Street revealed more evidence of illegal drug possession and distribution of marijuana by the vehicle occupants who resided in this home. An additional sixty-five ounces of marijuana were recovered in various locations within the residence. The total amount of marijuana seized weighed a total of 134 ounces or approximately 8.375 pounds.

A recent report by the Oxford Treatment Center (Editorial Staff, May 2022) on the average cost of marijuana by state illustrates the significance of this latest illegal drug seizure. According to the report, the national average cost for an ounce of high-quality marijuana is $326, which translates into $43,684 for this seizure. By comparison, medium-quality marijuana costs $266 an ounce and would yield $35,644.

Shannon Marie Doyle-Melvin

Shannon Marie Doyle-Melvin was charged with (PWID) possession with intent to distribute marijuana (§18.2-248), contributing to a minor’s delinquency. In addition to the five outstanding arrest warrants, Brian Albarenga Alfero was also charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana (§18.2-248), contributing to a minor’s delinquency. The male juvenile was arrested for PWID Marijuana, possession of Marijuana underage, and possession of nicotine.

Brian Albarenga Alfero

Sheriff Mark Butler expressed his gratitude to the arresting deputies and stated, “this is a great example of how we can work together to combat the flow of illegal drugs into our county. Our philosophy is to be proactive and disrupt the supply chain while arresting those that bring and sell drugs in Warren County.” Sheriff Butler states this is the latest of many significant arrests and investigations that the Warren County Sheriff’s Office has initiated in 2022.