Press release and court documents
Cave City Police and a Bandit, the city’s K-9 officer, recovered nearly 3 pounds of meth during a traffic stop in Cave City on July 8. This is one of the largest methamphetamine stops in recent history in the county.
According to a press release from Sheriff Shane Russell, the stop came during a joint narcotics investigation between the Third Judicial District Drug Task Force and the Sharp County Sheriff’s Department.
A black mustang with damage to the front was believed to be traveling in Cave City with narcotics. Officers with the Third Judicial District Drug Task Force alerted Cave City Lt. Trint Milligan. Milligan and Officer Dalton Hooker began searching for the vehicle.
Just after 8 p.m, on July 8, Hooker observed the vehicle pulling onto Main Street in Cave City from First Community Bank and initiated the traffic stop.
Mcabe West, 47, of Hardy was driving the vehicle with passenger Melissa Blaskiewicz, 44, of Mammoth Spring. Lt. Milligan and his narcotic detection trained K-9 unit, Bandit, arrived one the scene. After Bandit sniffed the vehicle 1279 grams (2.819 pounds) of suspected methamphetamine was seized from the vehicle.
Both West and Blaskiewicz were arrested and transported to the Sharp County Detention Center.
Court records show West has at two prior felony drug-related offenses and had been on five years’ probation until Jan. 2025 on his last offense in Randolph County.
Blaskiewicz has a 2021 felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine or cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine or cocaine.
Both are being held in the Sharp County Detention Center in lieu of $250k bonds each with an Oct. 6 court date.
Sheriff Shane Russell said, “This is another example of what inter-agency cooperation can produce. We would like to thank the Cave City Police Department and K9 Bandit for their assistance in taking illegal narcotics off the streets of Sharp County.”
