The Minden Police Department arrested a convicted felon Wednesday morning following a drug raid that uncovered synthetic marijuana, firearms, and cash at a residence on Brenda Circle.
Officers executed a search warrant in the 1100 block of Brenda Circle, obtained by the department’s narcotics division, along with three arrest warrants for the home’s occupant, Justin Bridges, on charges of distribution of a Schedule I controlled dangerous substance (synthetic marijuana).
Upon entry, officers confirmed that the two small children were not in the front room before deploying a flash bang. Bridges and the children were removed from the home, and relatives quickly picked up the children at the scene.
During the search, officers found approximately 728 grams of synthetic marijuana concealed in a bag inside the return air vent. Additional drug-related items, including digital scales and plastic bags, were located in the kitchen, along with a glass jar containing marijuana.
Two firearms were seized from the residence: a SCCY 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number found under a mattress in the master bedroom and a Glock 43 found hidden in a shoe in the closet of the middle bedroom. Officers also located a mason jar containing ammunition in the middle bedroom, an empty magazine in a kitchen drawer, five live rounds in the kitchen, and a plastic bag containing additional ammunition.
Police seized $1,000 in cash, which was hidden inside a shoe in the living room, along with a baggie of synthetic marijuana. Two vehicles suspected of being used in drug distribution were also confiscated.
Bridges, a convicted felon, has a prior felony conviction from July 31, 2017, for illegal use, possession, or control of a weapon in a crime of violence. He was sentenced to five years of hard labor, which was suspended, and was on active probation until July 31, 2022.
Bridges faces multiple charges, including:
- Two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
- Possession with intent to distribute synthetic marijuana
- Possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of juveniles
- Two counts of possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled dangerous substance
- Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number
As they were wrapping up, Lt. Shane Griffith of the Minden Police narcotics division said, “Whether you live in an outhouse or a penthouse, if you sell dope in Minden, you’re going to go to jail. Period.”
All subjects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.