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STATESVILLE -- Two Charlotte men have been charged in connection with a drug ring that involved the sale of high-grade marijuana, according to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators, saying more arrests are likely, said they have charged Joseph Reece Payne, 28, and John Gabriel Tringas, 23, with possession with felony intent to sell and deliver marijuana, felony possession of marijuana, and maintaining a vehicle for the sale of marijuana. Payne is jailed under $50,000 bond, and Tringas is being held under $20,000 bond, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities say a lengthy investigation led to the arrests, and they say it also involved Charlotte-Mecklenburg police and the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms division. They say the two suspects were involved in an operation that transported the drugs into Iredell County for sale.
Deputies say they seized 2,900 grams of marijuana, with a street value of more than $26,000. They say it was an exotic strain of marijuana, which has a stronger impact on the body. Detectives say the type of marijuana seized sells for about four times the cost of typical marijuana.
Authorities also say they seized three handguns and more than $5,000 cash in a search of Payne’s residence.
