Crime & Courts

Anchorage police arrest 2 on charges of Spice distribution

Anchorage police say they've arrested two people on charges related to Spice distribution.

On Friday, undercover Anchorage Police Department vice officers and state troopers served a search warrant on a motor home in Wasilla.

"Officers seized approximately 426 grams of Spice, including packaging, and .45 grams of suspected methamphetamine. They also seized packaging materials and scales used for distribution," according to an APD press release.

Police estimated the Spice is valued at over $6,000.

Mark Purcella, 46, and Carol Halley, 50, have been living in the motor home, the release says. They were arrested and taken to the Anchorage jail, but both have since posted bail.

Online court records show that both Purcella and Halley were charged with two felonies related to the possession and distribution of drugs on Jan. 13. But the crimes were committed, according to the records, in November and December. APD spokeswoman Renee Oistad said she was unsure about the sequence of events, but that charges related to the Spice bust have been filed.

Police said tips from a variety of sources led to the identification of the alleged Spice dealers. They had asked for the public's help in identifying Spice distributors after a rash of Spice overdoses this fall.

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Spice-related emergency calls rose dramatically in 2015, according to a state report released in December. The report named the drug as the primary factor in at least four deaths.

Since Anchorage criminalized Spice use and sale on Nov. 10, APD has handed out 45 criminal citations, all but one of which have been for possession or use of the drug, according to data provided by the department.

Jerzy Shedlock

Jerzy Shedlock is a former reporter for Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2017.

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