Dateline: April 18, 2002

Sheriff tells drug pushers to beware 

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

Two men were in Donley County Jail this week as a result of indictments on drug charges.

Josh Kirby, age 28, and Randy Tolbert, age 33, were both arrested and served with indictments for Delivery of a Controlled Substance, a first-degree felony.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said other drug cases have been made in Donley County and are awaiting lab results.

“Drug dealers beware. We’re going to come knocking,” Blackburn said.

Kirby, who was arrested on April 13, was also charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance for having a second-degree amount of methamphetamine.

Kirby was arraigned for the first-degree felony on April 14 by County Judge Jack Hall with bond set at $50,000. He was again arraigned by Judge Hall on Monday for the second-degree charge, and bond was set at $25,000

Tolbert was arrested and arraigned on April 10. His bond was set by Judge Hall at $50,000.

Both Tolbert and Kirby are alleged to have delivered methamphetamines to an undercover narcotics officer who has been working with the Donley County Sheriff’s Office for several months.

“I want to applaud the good relationship we have with the DPS narcotics agents who are willing to come here and help us,” Blackburn said.

The case in question was made in November of last year, but Blackburn said it is taking the DPS lab in Amarillo at least 90 days to get results back.

“They’ve got one chemist for the whole Panhandle,” the sheriff said.