MANKATO -- Tips from neighbors led to the arrest of four people for selling drugs out of a Belle Avenue apartment.
28-year-old Turis Dotson of Minneapolis, 24-year-old Jarvis Dotson of Mankato, 29-year-old Latrice Franklin of Mankato and 28-year-old Anthony Atkins have all been charged with 1st Degree conspiracy to sell drugs.
The apartment manager at 500 Belle Avenue told agents with the Minnesota Valley Drug Task Force that people were in and out of Apartment 8 at all hours. They also reported that traffic picked up when a certain SUV was in the parking lot.
Agents were aware of the SUV and that it was driven by Anthony Atkins.
The drug task force set up surveillance and observed Franklin and several men come and go.
When they believed the apartment was empty, agents took K-9 officer "Bear" to the hallway outside the apartment door where the dog signaled the presence of narcotics.
After obtaining a search warrant, the task force entered the apartment they say they saw Anthony Atkins toss a package of cocaine that later weighed .37 grams. Jarvis Dotson was found at a table cutting up the cocaine for packaging. 11.65 grams of cocaine was found on a scale and several individual baggies with cocaine totaling 4.46 grams were found. Atkins had $429 in cash in his pocket.
Latrice Franklin, who said she had been dating Atkins for several months, was in the bathroom "getting cute" when officers raided the apartment. She denied knowing about the $1 bill "coating with cocaine" that was on top of her make-up case.
As police were wrapping up the search warrant, Turvis Dotson drove into the parking lot behind the wheel of the SUV. He was carrying 3.56 grams of cocaine and $605 in cash.
In an interview with police, Jarvis Dotson alleged said he was caught "red handed." Dotson told police he had been selling in Mankato for 3 to 4 months and had made several trips to the Cities to pickup drugs.
Dotson says he was selling .6 gram bags of cocaine for $30 to $40.
28-year-old Turis Dotson of Minneapolis, 24-year-old Jarvis Dotson of Mankato, 29-year-old Latrice Franklin of Mankato and 28-year-old Anthony Atkins have all been charged with 1st Degree conspiracy to sell drugs.
The apartment manager at 500 Belle Avenue told agents with the Minnesota Valley Drug Task Force that people were in and out of Apartment 8 at all hours. They also reported that traffic picked up when a certain SUV was in the parking lot.
Agents were aware of the SUV and that it was driven by Anthony Atkins.
The drug task force set up surveillance and observed Franklin and several men come and go.
When they believed the apartment was empty, agents took K-9 officer "Bear" to the hallway outside the apartment door where the dog signaled the presence of narcotics.
After obtaining a search warrant, the task force entered the apartment they say they saw Anthony Atkins toss a package of cocaine that later weighed .37 grams. Jarvis Dotson was found at a table cutting up the cocaine for packaging. 11.65 grams of cocaine was found on a scale and several individual baggies with cocaine totaling 4.46 grams were found. Atkins had $429 in cash in his pocket.
Latrice Franklin, who said she had been dating Atkins for several months, was in the bathroom "getting cute" when officers raided the apartment. She denied knowing about the $1 bill "coating with cocaine" that was on top of her make-up case.
As police were wrapping up the search warrant, Turvis Dotson drove into the parking lot behind the wheel of the SUV. He was carrying 3.56 grams of cocaine and $605 in cash.
In an interview with police, Jarvis Dotson alleged said he was caught "red handed." Dotson told police he had been selling in Mankato for 3 to 4 months and had made several trips to the Cities to pickup drugs.
Dotson says he was selling .6 gram bags of cocaine for $30 to $40.