Police surveillance results in drug bust

A 32-year-old Springfield man is being held in the Clark County Jail on felony drug charges after he allegedly sold drugs in front of officers who were performing surveillance at his home.

Jermaine Bogan pleaded not guilty to two counts of drug trafficking and two counts of drug possession in Clark County Municipal Court on Tuesday. He was arrested by Springfield police’s investigative unit Monday night. Officers were reportedly working surveillance at his home at 102 S. Light St. as part of a drug investigation when they witnessed a drug transaction.

According to police, Bogan was seated inside a grey GMC Yukon outside his home when he was approached by another man. Officers reportedly witnessed a “hand-to-hand” transaction at the vehicle window before the visitor drove off in an SUV. That vehicle was later pulled over, and a small tan rock that tested positive as heroin was confiscated, according to the police report.

Police reportedly witnessed at least one more transaction before detaining Bogan. Officers said they were concerned for their safety given Bogan’s criminal past, which includes multiple charges relating to drugs, assault and having a weapon while a felon.

A search by a police dog revealed a sandwich bag box in the rear of the vehicle Bogan was sitting in. It contained what officers believed to be individually-bagged amounts of heroin and crack cocaine. Police also located a digital scale. During a pat-down search, $984 was found on Bogan’s person, police said.

Teaira Smoot, who lives in the same neighborhood where Bogan was arrested, said she’s glad to see police are cracking down on drugs.

“It’s kind of hard. You got drug dealers on every end of this street and all through the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s kind of hard for the police to keep track of everybody.”

Bogan is being held in the Clark County Jail on $20,000 bond. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next week.

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