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Burchett said she can’t say much about how the investigation began, because the businesses are still under investigation, but said an “outside agency,” approached the sheriff’s office “in reference to EBT cards.”
“They have been purchasing drugs and guns out of there, and selling them, and they sold and purchased EBT cards,” Burchett said. “So this is a variety of things that were going on. Mostly at the Mini Mart,” she added.
During the raid, money, guns, drugs and other evidence concerning the case was collected, Burchett said.
Roughly 12 different departments were involved in the raid itself, Burchette said, and four different departments had been working on the investigation leading up to the raid.
“City, state and federal departments were doing the investigation into the business itself,” Burchett said.
As of Thursday morning, four people have been arrested in connection with the raid, but more could be coming as the investigation continues, Burchett said. The identities of those arrested have not yet been made public.
“We are trying to make the neighborhood safer and have parents let their children out to play without worrying about someone trying to sell drugs or guns to them,” Burchett said.
Burchett said since the raid the department has received questions about why the two businesses are still open.
“We do not have the authority to shut those businesses down. That has to happen at a state level. We would have liked to shut them down, but we don’t have the authority,” Burchett said.
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