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Teacher’s Aide Busted In Walnut Hill; Search Warrant Uncovers ‘Large Amount’ Of Cocaine In Jaguar
September 25, 2009
An Escambia County teacher’s aide is behind bars after a search warrant executed at his Walnut Hill home turned up a “large amount” of cocaine as well as other drugs.
Rodney Darnell Portis, 41, of Juniper Street, Walnut Hill, was charged with one count of cocaine possession with the intent to sell and two counts of possessing a controlled substance without a prescription.
Portis is employed as a teacher’s aide at E-SEAL, an associated work skills program that offers vocational training for special education high school students from across Escambia County, according to a spokesperson for the Escambia County School District.
Deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations Narcotics Unit executed a search warrant at Portis’ residence in the 100 block of Juniper Street in Walnut Hill.
“Portis stated that he had only been selling crack cocaine for a short time and that all he had was a small amount of crack cocaine in his Isuzu Rodeo,” ECSO Investigator Heath Jackson wrote in the arrest report.
A search of that vehicle revealed a large amount of crack cocaine, $407 in cash and a 9mm handgun in the front seat, according to the ECSO report. A pill container in the Rodeo contained one Lortab and two Oxycontin, according to Jackson’s report. A search of a Jaguar at the home found a “large amount of crack cocaine in the trunk area” and a container containing four more Oxycontin pills, the arrest report states. Portis, according to deputies, admitted that the cocaine and Oxycontin belonged to him.
Jackson said the arrest was part of an ongoing investigatin.
Portis was booked into the Escambia County Jail on $120,000 bond.
Comments
20 Responses to “Teacher’s Aide Busted In Walnut Hill; Search Warrant Uncovers ‘Large Amount’ Of Cocaine In Jaguar”
Yes he made a bad decision. I pray that he learn from this mistake and turn his life totally over to the Lord. God ALLOW things to happen in our life for a reason and a purpose…. Where man condemn (tare down) God constantly builds you up through his word………I would like to encourage Rodney and his family if they are reading this. You’ll are going to have to go through this tuff process but allow it to make you a better person and totally put your trust in the Lord. No matter what man say I know there is a true and living God and he want put no more on us than we can bare….I’m not agreeing with what you did and yes it was wrong. The word say we have to abide by the laws of the land but God will forgive you for your sin. You just have to learn from your mistake and don’t walk in darkness any longer…. Repent and allow God to supply all your needs cause I know he will.
REGARDING:
“How many “respectable” members of the community have to go to prison before somebody figures out there is no profit in crack?”
Of course the problem is that there IS profit in selling illegal drugs. Some drugs grab the mind and create an intense desire for more of the same. If that desire can only be met by illegal means, people who are hooked will pay large amounts of money to satisfy the desire and those who supply them have an incentive to hook others.
If selling illegal drugs remained punishable but using them made legal through pharmacists or the new health care plan, those who are already addicted could get their fixes without having to steal or turn tricks or however they finance their habits currently and there would be no profit in hooking more people to drugs.
As the current addicts died off, there would be no replacements. ao all associated crimes would drop as would addiction.
or so it seems to me
WHATS NEXT ?
Just because the Jag is at his home does not mean it is his. Also we do not know if it was an older model or a new one. we also do not know if he has any other source of legal income (retirement, SSI, part time job, Etc.) so until we know those things I can only speculate. I do know that I have friends who are teachers not aides, and have been teaching for a long time, and not a single one of them drives a Jag. I will keep my eyes open to see more about this as it becomes available. good story and good information.
Good job catching this one. Our children do not need to be influnced by this bad element.
Isincerely THANK Sheriff Morgan & the department. Now that “the good old boys ” are out we are finally seeing some arrests. People who criticize the Sheriff should walk in his shoes for a few days. We expect the department to keep us as safe as possible but some scream if the deputies are given a raise. Thank you Mr. Morgan for trying to get them money that they deserve.
JohnMolino,
Well put, I couldn’t agree more.
And yes Dottie, other areas have problems too. I have lived in much larger cities with far fewer problems of this nature than we have here in our area. Personally I attribute the bad behavior in this area mostly to the religion you all hide behind. Like John said, prayer is doing nothing while somehow believing you are doing something. This town needs far more than just prayer, it needs community action and involvement.
Just wondering..,does the Esc Cty School District do random drug testing of their employees? If not, maybe it’s time that they do.
@Lottie Da
Oh Snap! …and You were really doing well there too!
Prayer…
How to do nothing and still think your helping.
.
Have a great day!
JohnMolino,
I sure wish you could scrape around the car or couch to get .75 Cent and get a newspaper tomorrow.
You might just find out it’s not just NW FLORIDA, It’s all over.
Don’t think all of the eggs are rotten just because some are. YOU and YOUR family also live in NW FLORIDA. MOVE if you find it soo distasteful. Hey and send us a postcard to that perfect place so we can move there too.
Pray Johnny. Just pray. Watch out for your family, friends, neighborhoo and school, TAKE PART, IN THESE AREAS.
That’s the only way WE will be able to survive.
Guess we know how he financed the purchase of the handgun, suv, Jaguar, and home with only a teachers aide pay…..good bail amount
Let me see if I read all of this right:
1. This guy works in our School District teaching our kids and gets arrested for selling crack cocaine. Check
2. Month or so ago Two Self described Christian Teachers who have families themselves, are busted for sexually molesting our school children. Check
3. A 15 year old EWMS student is arrested for sticking up a gas station in Molino. Check.
4. A couple teachers are hauled into Federal Court for pushing thier “Special” brand of religion on our school children. Check.
Welcome to NW Florida!
A mistake would be a small amount of drugs not a large asortment of them. Hope he gets added time becouse of his job.
MAN EVERYBODY MAKE MISTAKE..STRAIGHT LIKE DAT..
thanks special operations narcotics unit.round um all up.by the way he has been doing it longer than a ‘’short time”.i wish the whole sherrifs office was as productive as the narcotics divison.
With this new, more vigilant sheriff in office, deputies can now feel free to bust teachers (aides) selling crack.
Wow.
How many “respectable” members of the community have to go to prison before somebody figures out there is no profit in crack?
Come on, pillars of the community. If the riff-raff end up in prison from crack, what makes you think you are immune?
Seriously – somebody needs to screen these uncertified education workers.
Good Grief!! How long has he been “working” with special ed students across the county? But he has only been selling for a “short time”–right.
Yea, they have been active lately! And it’s amazing how many of the arrested are somehow connected to the schools of this and other counties. Actually it’s not just amazing, it’s downright frightening. I wonder if the school systems have random drug testing for employees. If not, it might be time to consider it. . . . . . .SOMETHING needs to be done to put a stop to this madness!
In responce to bama54 no it isn’t just you we now finally have a Sheriff that is the real deal, not a good old wanta be.
Is it just me, or has our Sheriff Department been catching a lot bad people here lately!! Keep up the “Good Work” Keep our schools Drug Free!!