Pubdate: Sat, 05 Aug 2000
Source: Longview News-Journal (TX)
Copyright: 2000sCox Interactive Media
Contact:  P.O. Box 1792, Longview, TX 75605
Fax: 903.757.3742
Website: http://www.news-journal.com/index.html
Author: John Lynch

DRUG ARREST APPARENTLY NOT CONNECTED TO ATTACK

Two days after three men were accused of trying to kill a federal informant 
during a drug deal in south Longview, law officers returned to the same 
neighborhood to arrest a suspected drug dealer.

David Gibson, 29, was taken into custody at 3 p.m. Thursday by Gregg County 
sheriff's Deputy Tracy Freeman at Gibson's home, 103 Cummins St., on 
warrants from Rusk County. Gibson was charged with one count of delivery of 
a controlled substance and two counts of possession of a controlled 
substance, all felony charges involving crack cocaine.

Justice of the Peace B.H. Jameson Friday set bonds for Gibson at $47,000 
for a possession charge and the delivery charge. The third possession 
charge, with a $7,500 bond, was added when Gibson, who is from Henderson, 
was moved to the Rusk County Jail.

The charges against Gibson don't appear to be related to the Tuesday arrest 
of Octavia "Tay" Jerom Thomas, 20, Tony "Little T" Drial Howard, 22, and 
Anthony "Ant" Jermain Anderson, 22, who are accused of trying to shoot an 
undercover informant working for the federal Drug Enforcement 
Administration as the unidentified man tried to buy $2,000 worth of crack 
cocaine from them during an undercover sting at 105 Cummins St., the house 
next to Gibson's residence.

A tip to Rusk County Crime Stoppers led investigators to Gibson at 103 
Cummins, said Scott Webb, crime prevention officer with the Rusk County 
sheriff's office.

He said police have been looking for Gibson for some time.

"I know one warrant has been out for at least six months," Webb said.

"We tried to catch him in a warrant roundup, but we missed him. When the 
warrants came out, he fled to Longview. He went over there to hide."

Thomas, Howard and Anderson were in the Gregg County Jail Friday on 
$100,000 bond each, where they've been held since they were charged Tuesday 
with attempted murder and aggravated robbery.

According to arrest reports, Thomas fired at least one of three shots at 
the informant as the trio tried to steal the $2,000 the informant brought 
to 105 Cummins to buy crack cocaine from them.

The man fought with the trio, briefly barricaded himself inside a room at 
the home, then jumped out of a window and hid in the woods to escape the 
three men until agents from the DEA and the Gregg County Organized Drug 
Enforcement unit arrived.
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