Drugs and weapons found at north Charlotte apartment during eviction, sheriff says
An eviction executed by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office led to drugs and weapons being found in a north Charlotte apartment on Wednesday.
At 12:50 p.m., two deputies and a sergeant knocked on the door of an apartment at 8320 University Executive Park Drive and announced themselves, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. The deputies noticed the apartment door’s peep hole turned dark, but nobody said anything, so they knocked and announced themselves again to no avail, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies entered the apartment by using a master key provided by the assistant community manager, the Sheriff’s Office said. They met 35-year-old Edward Paasi inside the apartment, who told them that he was leaving, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
The two deputies searched the apartment for other people, and at 1:02 p.m., one of them found several large-sealed bags filled with a “green leafy substance” in plain sight on the kitchen counter, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Two more residents, Steve Unga, 22, and Moses Ahomana, 22, were found and detained alongside Paasi, the Sheriff’s Office said.
More drugs, guns and other items were found by the deputies during the search — including bundles of cash totaling $70,572.00, sealing bags, a vacuum bag sealer, bags containing markings designed for redistribution, empty bottles of codeine medication that contained residue, a computer, four mobile devices, two weighing machines, two pistols, a Ruger 528, a Taurus G3, two rifles, an Anderson 556, and an AK, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
All three suspects were arrested and taken to the Mecklenburg County Detention Center at 1:55 p.m. for numerous gun and drug charges — including felony possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of firearm with serial number removed or altered and maintaining a vehicle or dwelling for use, storage or sale of controlled substances, the Sheriff’s Office said. Unga also faces an additional charge of possession of a firearm by a felon.
