Raid Leads to ‘Huge’ Narcotics and Firearms Bust

Rain wasn’t the only thing pouring on Monday January 27th, 2025, as members of the Columbus County Special Operations Division along with Columbus County Criminal Investigations and Command Staff raided a home at 808 Sycamore Lane, Whiteville North Carolina.

This raid marked the culmination of an investigation into narcotics sales initiated by numerous citizen complaints. After narcotics detectives secured a search warrant for the residence, a carefully planned operation was executed. The ensuing search resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of cocaine and marijuana, multiple illegal firearms—including one reported stolen—and a sum of U.S. currency. As a result of this operation, one suspect was taken into custody and now faces charges related to these offenses.

Arrested Individual: Thurman Delean Jenrette, Whiteville, NC

Charges:

Trafficking Cocaine
Possession with Intent to Sell/Deliver (PWISD) Cocaine within 100 Feet of Educational Property
PWISD Marijuana
PWISD Marijuana within 1,000 Feet of Educational Property
Maintaining a Dwelling for Controlled Substance Sales
Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon
Possession of a Stolen Firearm
Possession of Marijuana Drug Paraphernalia
Possession of Non-Marijuana Drug Paraphernalia
Jenrette is currently being held at the Columbus County Detention Center under a $150,000 secured bond.

Sheriff Bill Rogers emphasized the impact of the operation, stating,
“Illegal narcotics and firearms threaten the safety of our communities. Our office will continue to work diligently to remove dangerous drugs and weapons from our streets. We appreciate the vigilance of our citizens and their role in helping law enforcement address these crimes.”