Two Belpre residents were arrested after a drug bust Sunday at their residence.

Nicolas Patterson, 38, and Amy Davis, 35, both of 602 Cross St., Apt. A, were arrested after the Washington County Sheriff’s Office received information Friday from a concerned citizen that Patterson was living with Davis and her pre-teen child.

Officials said Patterson had three active warrants out of Washington County for felony failure to appear on contempt of court, felony failure to appear on possession of drugs and a misdemeanor warrant for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

There was a fourth warrant for parole violation out of the West Virginia Division of Corrections Central Office on the original charge of dangerous drugs.

A check of Patterson’s computerized criminal history showed he has convictions for assault in 2001, burglary in 2003, trafficking in drugs/heroin in April 2013, trafficking in drugs in October 2013, possession of a controlled substance in 2018, failure to comply with order of a police officer and obstruction in 2020, as well as several other charges, the sheriff’s office noted.

Belpre Police Det. Kerry Nichols advised the sheriff’s office he was told by an informant that Patterson and Davis were selling “dope” at their residence and there was foot traffic all the time.

Officials said the informant also provided the Belpre police with information that Patterson was getting synthetics from the internet and selling it.

Nichols said on Thursday, he was contacted by the St. Mary’s Correctional Center Investigator Robbie Sellers, who emailed him information about Patterson.

“During a video visit that occurred this morning, Patterson tells Inmate Brown that he has been hiding out because of a big drug bust in Belpre, says that his competitors and people he deals got arrested,” the email states. “During this visit he appears to be doing drugs along with an unknown female. In about every video visit Patterson can be seen consuming drugs with this unknown female.”

Photos clearly showed Patterson and Davis having the video visit with the inmate.

Sheriff’s Deputy William Johnson said he spoke to another witness who advised Patterson and Davis were selling methamphetamine out of an upstairs apartment in Belpre and that Davis was actually selling more than Patterson.

The sheriff’s office obtained a search warrant for their apartment in an attempt to apprehend Patterson on his warrants, check the welfare of the child, recover any evidence of trafficking in drugs, and identify any others involved, officials said.

Officials stated on Friday, sheriff’s deputies, Belpre police officers and the Ohio State Highway Patrol executed the search warrant at the apartment.

During the search, officers recovered approximately 22.5 alprazolam (Xanax) pills in various containers that no one had a prescription for, 15.06 grams (TPW) of suspected heroin, digital scales, $690 in cash, paraphernalia, and a cell phone with messages that confirmed both Patterson and Davis were involved in trafficking in drugs.

The child who was removed from the home advised Johnson he “knew why we were there”.

Patterson was arrested for his outstanding warrants as well as the third-degree felony tampering with drugs, fourth-degree felony trafficking in drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile, and the fifth-degree felony possession of drugs.

Davis was arrested for the third-degree felony tampering with drugs, fourth-degree felony trafficking in drugs in the vicinity of a juvenile, fifth-degree felony possession of drugs, fifth-degree felony permitting drug abuse, and first-degree misdemeanor child endangerment.