Three people have been arrested in a multi-agency effort to crack down on the illegal sale and distribution of heroin in Nome.
The arrests were made after a year long undercover operation conducted by the Nome Police Department and Alaska State Troopers’ Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team, or WAANT.
Kevin Beamish, 22, and Yvonne Adkison, 22, were brought into custody Thursday night after Beamish allegedly sold 0.2 grams of heroin to an undercover officer with the Western Alaska Alcohol and Narcotics Team.
The officer had been in contact with Beamish since January 2014 and reports having purchased heroin — in an undercover capacity — three times from the suspect.
Troopers report that Beamish entered and exited the home of Yvonne Adkison Thursday before delivering the drugs to the undercover officer. Adkison was also arrested. Troopers say a search warrant for her home revealed roughly three grams of heroin, almost $2,000 in cash, and Alaska Airlines tickets in her name.
Adkison is a dive tender featured on the Discovery Channel reality television program Bering Sea Gold.
In a separate arrest Friday, 30-year-old Kelly McDaniel was also brought into custody and now faces 11 felony charges of “misconduct involving a controlled substance” after allegedly selling heroin to an undercover officer on three occasions.
Nome Police report two of those sales took place within 500 feet of Nome Elementary School — a designation that appears to have amplified charges against McDaniel.
Nome Police Chief John Papasodora says, “All suspects were arrested without incident.”
He adds that Nome Police Department K9 unit Icon was “used extensively in the case.” In all, ten grams of heroin were seized in the arrests — along with “scales, cash, paraphernalia, and vehicles,” according to police.
Court documents show that Beamish and Adkison were arraigned last week. Beamish faces eight felony drug charges and is being held on $20,000 bail. Adkison faces three felony drug charges and is being held on $30,000 bail. Both are scheduled to appear before the Nome District Judicial Court on Dec. 15.
As of Monday night, McDaniel was still awaiting arraignment.
This story has been republished with permission from KNOM. Read the original article here.