Police detail cocaine incident

A confidential informant told police about cocaine sales at Chancellor Square and led them to arrest five current or former UNC students last week, according to a search warrant.

Police also purchased cocaine from former student Jonathan Ray Plymale, 22, at the apartment of junior Eliza McQuail Vaughan, 21, one week before police said the two were found with almost 200 grams of cocaine, the warrant states.

The two were arrested for drug trafficking and maintaining a dwelling to keep drugs, according to Chapel Hill police reports.

The warrant, written by Chapel Hill Police Department Vice and Narcotics Investigator Paul Bell and issued by Chief District Court Judge Joe Buckner, reveals details about the events leading up to the arrest.

The warrant states that during the week of Sept. 6, somebody told Chapel Hill narcotics investigators that two people were selling cocaine out of 211 Church Street, apartment C-4.

The source identified the sellers as a white man in his early 20s who goes by the nickname “J-Ply” and a white woman in her early 20s named Eliza Vaughan, according to the warrant.

After investigating the nickname “J-Ply” further, investigators showed Plymale’s photograph to the informant, who identified him. Later the next week, the informant identified Vaughan from a photograph, the warrant states.

In the same week, investigators sent the informant to purchase cocaine from the apartment, the warrant states.

The purchase was controlled — meaning the informant was searched before entering apartment C-4 and then given money to purchase drugs. Police observed the person entering and exiting the apartment, the warrant states.

The informant came back with cocaine, which the informant said was purchased from “J-Ply.” Vaughan was present and witnessed the purchase, the warrant states.

Police found out the apartment belonged to Vaughan by checking who paid the power bill, the search warrant states.

The informant made another controlled purchase 72 hours before the warrant was served, it states.

The warrant states that 76.8 grams of cocaine were seized, along with a marijuana grinder, two digital scales, a razor blade, two marijuana pipes and $2,180 in cash.

The cocaine was found in various places in the apartment, including in a plastic bin by the desk in a bedroom and in a brown jacket.

Later that night, police seized 121 grams of cocaine from Plymale’s apartment in Fraternity Court, said Lt. Kevin Gunter, Chapel Hill police spokesman.


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