JONES COUNTY – A Jones County man has been arrested after narcotics agents seized bottles of vape juice believed to contain Pinaca, also known as “Cob,” along with psilocybin mushrooms and a handgun, according to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department.
The sheriff’s department said agents with the Narcotics Division went to a home on Highway 588 near Ellisville on Wednesday, July 1, to discuss allegations that Pinaca was being sold from the residence.
Agents initially made contact with a 17-year-old male and an elderly woman at the home. Investigators later gathered information that led to a search warrant for the residence.
During the search, agents found vapes and vape juice believed to contain Pinaca in a bedroom. Deputies said agents were told resident Edwin Ellzey Jr. was hiding in the woods at the residence, but he was not located at that time.
Agents later returned to the property after receiving information that narcotics had been found in the woods. Deputies said agents seized 10 full bottles of Pinaca, nine partially full bottles of Pinaca, 103 empty bottles of Pinaca, 41 grams of psilocybin mushrooms and a handgun.
Investigators said information gathered from evidence, residents and community members led them to believe Ellzey had been bringing large quantities of Pinaca back to Jones County from an out-of-state source.
Deputies said Ellzey and the 17-year-old male are believed to have been selling Pinaca by the full bottle and by individual vape fill-up.
Ellzey was later found after a search warrant was issued at a residence on Sandhill Church Road. He was arrested and charged with trafficking Pinaca, trafficking psilocybin mushrooms and felony child endangerment.
“The Jones County Sheriff’s Department, at Sheriff Joe Berlin’s direction, is pursuing leads that direct us to individuals involved in the sale of illegal narcotics in Jones County,” JCSD Narcotics Division Sgt. Chase Smith said.
During Ellzey’s apprehension, deputies said a second man, identified as Anthony Turner, started an altercation with narcotics agents. Deputies said Turner was wearing only a bath towel and was armed with a steak knife.
Turner was tased, dropped the knife and was arrested. He was charged with failure to comply and resisting arrest.
Ellzey and Turner were taken to the Jones County Adult Detention Facility, where they are being held pending their initial appearances in Jones County Justice Court.
“Based on the volume of Pinaca that the 103 empty bottles hold, roughly 515 vape pods were filled with no telling how many were sold to students and juveniles in our communities,” Smith said.
The investigation remains ongoing.
