More details have been released following police raid at Margybeth Avenue home

EVANSVILLE — The Thursday afternoon narcotics raid on an Evansville home followed a weeks-long investigation by a joint task force and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, ultimately netting eight arrests and the alleged seizure of firearms, cash and drugs.

That investigation began in September, according to a review of arrest affidavits, when the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Drug Task Force and the DEA reportedly received information indicating 45-year-old Rolshon Michael Hudson sold fentanyl and methamphetamine out of a home in the 2300 block of Margybeth Avenue.

Also in September, a confidential source contacted officers and further alleged Hudson was a "multi-ounce supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Evansville area," according to detectives. The source claimed Hudson lived with another man who sold narcotics, later identified by police as Jack Harden, at the Margybeth home.

On Thursday around 2:15 p.m., officers from multiple law enforcement agencies − including the EPD's SWAT team − served a search warrant at Hudson's home. By the evening, officers had arrested and preliminarily charged eight people:

• Rolshon Michael Hudson, 45: Dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug, a Level 2 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony, and possession of a firearm by a serious violent felony, a Level 2 felony.

• Jack Harden, 44: Dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug, a Level 2 felony; maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony; possession of a firearm by a serious violent felony, a Level 2 felony, and resisting law enforcement, a misdemeanor.

• Shienkita Foster, 25: Dealing cocaine or a narcotic drug, a Level 4 felony and maintaining a common nuisance, a Level 6 felony.

• Kenneth Gardner, 26: Possession of a narcotic drug, a Level 6 felony, and misdemeanor dealing of marijuana and visiting a common nuisance.

• Trevel Carpenter, 36: Misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and visiting a common nuisance.

• Andrea Bell, 37, Kari Nicole Skelton, 31, and Maurice Joyce, 45, were all arrested and preliminarily charged with visiting a common nuisance.

Police: Search followed controlled buys and surveillance

Two days before the raid, members of the DEA's Evansville office utilized a controlled informant to allegedly purchase fentanyl from Hudson and others, according to a probable cause affidavit.

"Prior to meeting law enforcement, the CS (confidential source) contacted Hudson to arrange the transaction," a detective wrote. "According to the CS, Hudson agreed to sell the CS less than 5 grams of fentanyl. Hudson informed the CS that he/she could meet him at his residence located at 2328 Margybeth Ave. in Evansville."

Over the next 48 hours, the informant allegedly purchased fentanyl twice at the Margybeth home, identifying Hudson, Harden and Foster as being involved in the transactions, the police said. During one of the purchases, the informant is alleged to have observed multiple firearms on a table.

On Thursday, investigators applied for a warrant and later received permission to search the residence. Beginning at 10 a.m., members of the task force started surveillance and, over the next four hours, reportedly observed some 25 people coming and going from the home.

"Detectives noted that the traffic was short-term and consistent with narcotics trafficking," Hudson's arrest affidavit states. "At approximately 2:20 p.m., members of the Evansville SWAT team executed the search warrant of the residence."

When SWAT entered the home, it was occupied by "numerous" people, detectives later wrote. Hudson was taken into custody after being ordered outside. A search of his person allegedly turned up a large amount of cash. Seven other people were placed into custody at that time, according to the police.

Harden allegedly refused to come outside during the initial search. SWAT team members cleared the rest of the home while he remained inside and seized multiple firearms from a crawl space, at one point utilizing a "pole camera" to peek inside the space and identify weapons, detectives wrote.

After issuing what officers described as "numerous" commands for Harden to surrender, the SWAT team deployed a chemical gas inside the home. Harden reportedly exited several minutes later and was placed into custody without incident.

In total, officers detained nine individuals at the outset of the operation, according to police records. Investigators then began a thorough search for narcotics and weapons.

In multiple arrest affidavits, detectives listed obtaining at least 13 items they said were consistent with the sale of drugs, including multiple cellphones, digital scales, marijuana, fentanyl, and cash. In total, the police claimed to have seized five firearms from the home and a nearby vehicle.

Among the cash allegedly seized from the home and Hudson's person was all of the marked U.S. currency supplied to the controlled informant.

"A total of $3,950 was recovered from Hudson," his arrest affidavit states.

EPD spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Gray told the Courier & Press that officers used a police K-9 to apprehend one individual who fled from officers. It was not immediately clear who the K-9 apprehended or if they sustained any injuries.

Gray said the department may release further information about the raid and subsequent arrests on Friday.

Houston Harwood can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville drug raid on Thursday involved the DEA and informants