January 18, 2024 was a big day for the Coffee County Drug Unit. Between about 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., drug officers made five arrests on illegal drug charges, all of which had one person in common.
Right around the time officers were chasing and ultimately arresting Chance Casem and Danea Hope on Cleveland Street in Douglas (see accompanying story), drug officers were also arresting Hubert Brantley Anderson, 35, of Douglas, on drug possession charges. According to an incident report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, detectives learned that something was happening on Wheeler Avenue.
Officers were in the area, according to a report from the Coffee County Sheriff’s Office, when they saw Anderson riding a bicycle on the sidewalk – a violation of the law, according to the report. A detective stopped Anderson on Irwin Street and found approximately six grams of methamphetamine in his jacket. Officers had reason to believe that Casem was involved in this transaction. At the time, Casem was fleeing officers a mile or so away on Cleveland Street. Casem and a passenger, Hope, were arrested on illegal drug charges after their car nearly crashed into First Academy.
Anderson was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute and taken to jail. He has since been released.
Later that same day, after Casem, Hope, Anderson, and Susie Hall Jewell had all been arrested in related matters, officers went to a Lakeside Drive address to speak with Valerie Cox, 43, of Douglas, whom they believed had methamphetamine in the house. When officers arrived, Cox opened the door, shut it quickly, and allegedly flushed illegal drugs down the toilet. One of the detectives was able to open the septic tank and found about 14 grams of methamphetamine, three suspected MDMA pills, and another bag of methamphetamine. There were scales in Cox’s room, the report states.
The report says that Cox ultimately admitted to flushing the drugs down the toilet. During the investigation, officers learned that Cox had previously lived with Casem Chance on Jacobs Circle. She was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a controlled substance, and tampering with evidence. She remains in the Coffee County Jail.
Cox’s arrest closed out an active day for the drug unit, one that saw Chance Casem and four people connected to him arrested and charged with various drug charges.