Sheriff’s Office Drug Interdiction Strategy yields Significant Seizur

On December 19, 2022 at approximately 08:48 PM, Warren County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tyler Poe stopped a white

2016 Honda CRV on Chester Street in the Town of Front Royal for disobeying a stop sign. Deputy Poe was assisted by

K9 Deputy Sean Gagliardo and Sergeant John Gregory during the stop.

While speaking with the driver, Shannon Marie Doyle-Melvin (age 25) of Front Royal, deputies confirmed that her

passenger, Brian Albarenga Alfero (age 22) of Front Royal was wanted on several outstanding felony warrants from

Warren and Rappahannock counties. The vehicle was also occupied by a fifteen-year-old family member.

A search of the vehicle revealed a 28-liter garbage bag full of individual bags of green leafy substance suspected to be

marijuana. The garbage bag contained sixty-five, one-ounce clear bags of purported marijuana.

A consensual search by Sheriff’s Office Deputies of a nearby private residence on the two hundred block of Chester

Street revealed more evidence of illegal drug possession and distribution of marijuana by the vehicle occupants, who

resided in this home. An additional sixty-five ounces of marijuana were recovered in various locations within the

residence. The total amount of marijuana seized weighed a total of 134 ounces, or approximately 8.375 pounds.

A recent report by the Oxford Treatment Center (Editorial Staff, May 2022) on the average cost of marijuana by state

illustrates the significance of this latest illegal drug seizure. According to the report the national average cost for an

ounce of high-quality marijuana is $326, which translates into $43,684 on this seizure. By comparison, medium

quality marijuana costs $266 an ounce, and would yield $35,644.

Shannon Marie Doyle-Melvin was charged with (PWID) possession with intent to distribute marijuana (§18.2-248),

and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In addition to the five outstanding arrest warrants, Brian Albarenga

Alfero was also charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana (§18.2-248), and contributing to the

delinquency of a minor. The male juvenile was arrested for PWID Marijuana, possession of Marijuana underage and

possession of nicotine.

Sheriff Mark Butler expressed his gratitude to the arresting deputies, and stated “this is a great example of how we can

work together to combat the flow of illegal drugs into our county. Our philosophy is to be proactive, and disrupt the

supply chain while arresting those that bring and sell drugs in Warren County.” Sheriff Butler states this is the latest of

many significant arrests and investigations that the Warren County Sheriff’s Office has initiated in 2022.

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