Federal Grand Jury Indicts Nine Talladega County Residents

Nine Talladega County residents were served Wednesday morning with federal felony warrants on gun and drug charges. The cases leading up to the indictments were investigated by the U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Talladega County Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. The U.S. Marshal’s Service, Talladega County Sheriff’s Office, Talladega Police and Sylacauga Police assisted.  According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, two of the men were already incarcerated when they were served with indictments for being convicted felons in possession of firearms. These men were 28 year old Chancy Berry Temple, of Talladega and 30 year old  Christopher Murray of Childersburg.  The other seven people arrested Wednesday were 24 year old Mareao Citron Sears,  of Sylacauga, for conspiracy to distribute narcotics; 41 year old Jermaine Morris, of Sylacauga, conspiracy to distribute narcotics and convicted felon in possession of a firearm; 29 year old Terrell Alphonso McElrath,  of Sylacauga, felon in possession of a firearm; 24 year old  Justin Kirkland,  of Sylacauga, possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense; 25 year old Julian Arthur Harris,  of Talladega, felon in possession of a firearm; 35 year old Travis Levert Chatman,  of Talladega, felon in possession of a firearm; and 31 year old Meltrone Shuntang Sears,  of Sylacauga, distribution of narcotics.  According to Task Force Commander Jason Murray, Mareao Sears, Meltrone Sears and Morris were arrested following a single investigation. The case began as a gun investigation that led to alleged distribution of crack and powder cocaine. The task force executed a search warrant Wednesday morning at 42 North Branch Road in Sylacauga that led to Morris’s arrest. As a result, Morris will also be facing state charges for unlawful possession of a controlled substance.  All of the other cases stem from separate investigations  All of the people served Wednesday morning had been indicted by a federal grand jury.