Search warrant leads to 3 drug arrests

Police arrested three people on multiple felony drug charges while serving a narcotics search warrant in Edinburgh.

Joshua "Tony" Merchant, 23, was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

Rhonda J. Merchant, 46, was arrested on charges of possession of narcotics, possession of a controlled substance and possession of paraphernalia.

Kylee Marie Weber, 21, 423 Piatts Trailer Court, Edinburgh, was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of narcotics, possession of marijuana and possession of paraphernalia.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

Just before 11 p.m. Thursday, Edinburgh and Prince’s Lakes police searched the house at 801 E. Thompson St. in Edinburgh, where both Merchants live.

Inside, they found various drugs, including marijuana, meth and controlled substances, as well as paraphernalia.

When police arrived, they saw Tony Merchant look out the dining room window and take off running, according to a police report. But when officers knocked on the door, Rhonda Merchant answered and Tony Merchant was standing in the living room, the report said.

At first, Tony and Rhonda Merchant and Weber denied that there were any narcotics in the house, and allowed police to search it, according to the report.

Tony Merchant told police he smokes marijuana and uses methamphetamine and said many of the drugs and paraphernalia in the house were his, the report said. They also found heroin inside his wallet.

Weber told police she also uses meth, but was getting ready to go to rehab, the report said.

Rhonda Merchant told police there was another quarter gram of meth in her bedroom, the report said.

They also found two smoking pipes in her bed, police said.

In Tony Merchant’s bedroom, police found marijuana, another smoking pipe and a metal spoon with a used piece of cotton on it and a white powder residue, the report said.

Inside a hallway closet, they found a box full of used syringes and other paraphernalia, police said.

Police found several controlled substances, including a Valium, in an unlabeled pill bottle in Rhonda Merchant’s purse. She told police they were hers, but that she did not have a prescription. 

Tony Merchant is being held at the Johnson County jail on $8,800 bond. Rhonda Merchant is held on $3,200 bond. Weber was held on $4,400 bond.