Cocaine arrest leads to more drug charges

Southeast Missourian

One of the central figures in a 1999 riot on Good Hope Street has had his vehicle seized as part of a drug bust and is headed back to court, charged with dealing cocaine and marijuana.

Greg Campbell, who was acquitted of assaulting police in the June 1999 confrontation, has been accused of delivering cocaine to a confidential informant in October that same year.

At the time of his arrest earlier this month, police found more drugs in his sport utility vehicle, leading to additional charges, said Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Morley Swingle.

A warrant for Campbell's arrest for cocaine trafficking in 1999 was issued Dec. 21 last year. After observing him, police arrested Campbell Jan. 3 on a class B felony charge of sale of cocaine.

The two-year period between the October 1999 drug sale and the December 2001 arrest warrant is not uncommon when confidential informants are used, Swingle said.

The time gave leeway to the Drug Enforcement Agency informant to work safely undercover for as long as possible, he said.

In a probable cause affidavit, a SEMO Drug Task Force agent said that on Oct. 7, 1999, Campbell gave the informant 25.9 grams of cocaine to sell. After it was sold, Campbell expected $1,100 in return.

But the informant turned the drugs over to police and returned to Campbell a few days later with the money. The meeting was tape-recorded, police said.

The drugs were sent to the DEA lab in Chicago, where testing showed it was cocaine.

When police stopped Campbell earlier this month for the 1999 drug sale, they reported finding a quarter pound of marijuana and digital scales in his car, as well as cocaine in his wallet.

At the same time, Campbell's 1997 GMC Suburban was seized and a forfeiture action was filed since the vehicle was alleged to have transported drugs in both cases.

A class B felony possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and class C felony possession of cocaine were added to Campbell's charges.

Each class B felony carries a possible penalty of five to 15 years in prison. The class C felony has a possible penalty of one to seven years in prison or one day to one year in the county jail.

Campbell remains free on two bonds totaling $55,000. He's scheduled to appear Feb. 4 before associate circuit judge Gary Kamp for preliminary hearings in both cases.

The forfeiture case for Campbell's sport utility vehicle is pending.

Campbell was acquitted of charges of assault of a police officer and resisting arrest in a June 11, 1999, confrontation with a police officer that led to rock and brick throwing at police from a crowd of 150 people.

abuchanan@semissourian.com

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