Several people have been charged with drug crimes in separate arrests by Durant and Calera Police.

Charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute were: Billie Jo Caldwell, 26, Eugene Francisco-Navarez Johnico, 42, and Natasha Lynn Struble, 24, all of Durant.

They were arrested last week after a traffic stop by Durant Master Police Officer Shane Walker, who pulled over a car on Highway 78 because it had a defective license plate light.

Walker and Patrolman Brandon Mitchell approached the vehicle that was driven by Johnico. According to an affidavit, a woman in the back seat was stuffing something in her pants.

Johnico appeared very nervous, the affidavit states, and Walker later deployed a drug-sniffing dog around the vehicle and the dog alerted to the “past or present odor of narcotics.” During a search, a set of scales were found, and the women were taken to the Bryan County Jail to be searched by a female jailer.

According to the affidavit, both women possessed marijanaua as well as a crystal-like substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Johnico, Caldwell and Struble were booked into jail.

In other drug arrests, William Layne Southerland, 39, Durant, was charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. According to court records, Southerland was arrested Nov. 25 by Calera Police at East Main and McKennon Streets.

In other crime news, Cory G. Stephens, 21, Durant, was charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is accused of whacking Fredrick Cross with an ax handle at Steger Lumber. Durant Police Patrolman Jason Colvard was dispatched to the business last week about an assault.

According to an affidavit, the assault happened while the men were arguing over not helping customers. A person who was not an employee was helping load a customer’s order and Stephens and Cross got into an argument about it.

They both argued about what work they had each done that day, according to the affidavit, and the argument continued into the store where Stephens picked up an ax handle and hit Cross and also punched him.

Cross was taken to the Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma to be treated for a swollen and purple left eye. Stephens was arrested and according to the affidavit, he said that he didn’t know why but that he picked up the ax handle and hit Cross in the arm. When asked about the swollen eye that Cross had, Stephen said, “that was with my fist.”