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Ten people were arrested on wide-ranging charges after the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Section served a narcotics search warrant at a home where deputies had been called for past overdoses and neighbors had complained about junk and trash covering the property.
53-year old Edwina Jackson of 34 9th Avenue in Shalimar is charged with having a public nuisance residence, elderly neglect, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
OCSO Investigators say Jackson and 62-year old Joseph Downing, also of that address, were caretakers there of an elderly female who was living in unsafe and unsanitary conditions which include being exposed to the frequent use of heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine in the home. She had no bed and stayed in a chair all day. The victim was relocated to a safe place by the Department of Children and Families.
Downing’s charges include operating a public nuisance residence, elderly neglect, possession of a weapon or ammo by a convicted felon, and corruption by threat of a public servant.
32-year old Alisha Dean, who lives in an RV on the property, is charged with trafficking in methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Resident 54-year old Charles Morrison is charged with possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
Resident Doug Spence was served a warrant for failure to register as a sexual offender.
Four others at the property, Billy Cook, Eldon Cuchens, Greg Murphy and Jered Smith face a charge of resisting an officer without violence. Matthew Strunk is charged with felony violation of probation on original charges of possession of a controlled substance.
Deputies say some of the individuals were sleeping outside in cars which had been cut in half. Inside the roach infested home there was no running water and no working bathroom.
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