Hotbed for crime? Chancery St. business targeted
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Donald Crisp Jr. is charged with selling crack cocaine from Auto Expressions and the district attorney’s office says two other suspects made drug sales from the same location and have yet to be arrested.
“One of the things we’re worried about is you have legitimate people pulling up wanting their car cleaned who don’t need to wind up in the middle of a crack deal,” said District Attorney Dale Potter. “It’s close to Bobby Ray school, it’s close to a residential neighborhood and it’s a high-traffic area.”
Auto Expressions owner Robert Wood said word of drug activity at his business was news to him.
“I’m definitely not aware of it,” Wood said. “And the people that were doing it aren’t allowed here any more. This right here is a big blow to me.”
While emphasizing Wood has not been charged with any crime, Potter pointed to a 1996 case involving Shawn Beard, who was convicted of selling drugs from Auto Expressions. Investigators say they have not had any difficulty buying crack from various people at the business since April of this year.
“Some of the people we were looking for, we could go to their houses and if they weren’t home we could go score at the clean-up shop,” said investigator Jason Rowland.
The possible punishment for Crisp and the other suspects will be enhanced because Auto Expressions is within 1,000 feet of Bobby Ray meaning it is in a school zone.
As for future action against Wood and Auto Expressions, Potter indicated he would like to see the business shut down and padlocked. He says his office is currently looking into what needs to be done for that to happen.
“We’re not saying what Mr. Wood’s involvement is,” said Potter. “But it’s awfully interesting he hasn’t tried to stop what’s been going on at his business since 1996.”