For the second time in a week, East Ridge police officers have arrested someone in possession of MDMA, more commonly known as “ecstasy.”
Marquelle Alexander Rhodes, 25, of a Grove Street address in Chattanooga, is facing multiple drug charges after police found almost 10 grams of MDMA in a backpack that allegedly belongs to him. Rhodes is due to appear in East Ridge Municipal Court on April 11, officials said.
According to a police report, ERPD was dispatched to the McDonald’s on Ringgold Road, Thursday at 11:30 in the morning to assist Chattanooga police who had detained a hit-and-run suspect. CPD had tracked Rhodes to the restaurant and saw the man, who was wearing jeans and carrying a backpack enter the restaurant. A witness at McDonald’s said they saw Rhodes go into the restroom with a backpack, but he denied having done so, the report states.
Marquelle Rhodes
According to the report, police checked the restroom after Rhodes denied having gone into the room and found a box inside the trash can contained a loaded Taurus .45-cal. handgun, 2.37 ounces of marijuana, a scale, 11.2 milligrams of Alprazolam and 22 tablets of suspected MDMA. Police also found crushed tablets believed to be MDMA. All told, the report states, officers found 8.8 grams of MDMA.
According to the report, police viewed a McDonald’s security video showing Rhodes enter the restroom with a backpack having a distinct rectangular outline, which they believe contained the drugs and weapon. The same video shows Rhodes leave the restroom 51 seconds later without the outline being visible on the backpack.
Rhodes was charged with Possession of Schedule I Drugs for Resale, Possession of Schedule VI drugs for resale and Possession of Schedule IV Drugs and Possession of a Firearm while Committing a Felony.
Court officials said that Rhodes has a May Court date in Hamilton County Criminal Court for drug charges stemming from an arrest in 2016. He is also due to appear in Sessions Court for drug charges and evading.
On Tuesday, a traffic stop led to the discovery of 42 tablets of suspected MDMA, a resale quantity of marijuana and a stolen handgun. Nakisha Caffey, 24 of a Citico Avenue address, and Sadik Spence, 20, of an Oakwood Avenue address were jailed in relation to this incident.
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