Burglar alarm led to large drug discovery

COLUMBIA — A tripped burglar alarm led to the discovery of drugs, guns and cash and the arrest of two Columbia men Wednesday morning, police said.

Capt. Brad Nelson said the discovery “was one of the larger” seizures that the department has seen.

It’s not the amount of the drugs seized, however, but the variety, that is unusual, Nelson said.

“You don’t usually have the ‘X,’ the crack and the coke all in one location,” he said.

Arthur L. Rainey Jr., 23, and Thomas C. Stevens, 22, both of Columbia, were charged in federal court with possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Missouri.

The men are in federal custody awaiting a detention hearing set for Monday.

Police responded to the alarm at 2607 Rose Drive at 11:23 a.m. Wednesday. After determining that the alarm was false, officers questioned the residents of the house and discovered drug paraphernalia in plain sight, Nelson said. A news release from the U.S. Attorney’s office said the officers found a bag of about 200 pills of suspected Ecstasy on an end table. The officers subsequently arrested the men.

“What got their suspicions aroused was the overwhelming smell of burnt marijuana,” Nelson said.

The officers contacted a narcotics detective who obtained a warrant to search the home for further evidence.

While searching the home, officers discovered 674 grams of powder cocaine, 187 grams of crack cocaine, 1,800 tablets of Ecstasy and 40 grams of marijuana. The street value of all the drugs is approximately $52,700, police said. They also found $33,779 in cash, a digital scale, a ledger and glassware used to make crack, according to the release.

Officers discovered $10,000 of the cash inside a pair of shoes in the closet of Stevens’ room and $12,000 in another pair of shoes in Rainey’s room, a news release states.

A bag containing 68 grams of suspected cocaine was also found inside the false bottom of a Pringle’s can, the release states.

Police also found a .40-caliber Glock, a .25-caliber Raven, a .38-caliber handgun, an Olympic Arms .223-caliber rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun in the residence.

In 2004, Rainey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor possession of marijuana.

Police have requested that anyone with information related to the arrests submit tips on the CrimeStoppers Web site, 875tips.com.