FREEPORT WOMAN CAUGHT FLUSHING METH DOWN TOILET DURING SEARCH WARRANT; THREE ARRESTED

Posted on May 24, 2021

meth inside a safe
Mug shot of white woman with dyed blonde hair and dark roots
Mug shot of white male with brown goatee and balding head
meth in a ziploc bag on top of a white toilet
Mug shot of white male with graying hair

May 24, 2021

WALTON COUNTY, Fla— On May 20th Walton County Sheriff’s Office VICE Narcotics Unit and personnel from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement executed a search warrant at 186 Whip-Poor-Will Lane in Freeport.

During the search warrant John Hartley, 63, Jennifer Cotton, 46, and Joseph Byrd, 53, were located inside the home.

Byrd, who resides in Ponce de Leon, was found with four grams of methamphetamine in his wallet. Byrd was also found in possession of a syringe in his front pocket.

In Hartley’s bedroom investigators located a safe. Inside the safe was more than 60 grams of methamphetamine and two bags containing approximately 104.8 grams of marijuana. Numerous other items of drug paraphernalia were found throughout the room including a smoking pipe, a syringe, and one digital scale.

Within a bathroom located in Cotton’s room, she was observed attempting to flush methamphetamine down the toilet when law enforcement entered.

Jennifer Delores Cotton was charged with possession of meth with intent to sell and possession of drug paraphernalia. She received a $50,000 bond and bonded out Friday, May 21st.

Joseph Everett Byrd was charged with possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $5,000 bond and is still incarcerated at the time of this release.

Johnathan Earl Hartley is charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was issued a $100,000 bond and is still incarcerated at the time of this release.