A sham call reporting a hostage situation ended in the arrest of a Gassville couple after a search of their residence turned up large quantities of marijuana, THC vape cartridges, THC wax, hashish and slightly more than $37,000 in cash.
35-year-old Joshua Andrew Enquist and his 36-year-old wife, Samantha Michelle Enquist, were initially accused of serious charges, including trafficking.
The charges against him were amended significantly and he pled guilty to manufacturing marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court last Monday and was put on probation for 24 months. The case against Samantha Enquist was dismissed by the state.
Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kerry Chism told the court there were problems with the search of the couple’s residence and that the charges were amended to reflect the reality of the situation.
Joshua Enquist was taken into custody the day of the search. His wife turned herself in on September 12 last year. At the time of the search, investigators reported they were not completely sure of the extent of her involvement in the drug operation.
In addition, children were due home and her arrest would have left no one to take care of them.
It was decided that if evidence showed she had been involved, she would be charged by warrant. An arrest warrant was issued after investigators laid out the case for prosecutors and Samantha Enquist turned herself in.
The search leading to the arrest of the Enquist couple was initiated in a rather off-the-wall way. The Baxter County Sheriff’s Office received two calls reporting a hostage situation at the Debonair Court address.
The caller said there were multiple hostages being held the basement of the house and unless he was paid $50,000, he would kill them.
According to the probable cause affidavit, when the recorded calls reporting the hostage situation were reviewed, the person making them was described as a male with a foreign accent.
The man was reported not to be familiar with street names in the area and mispronounced the name of the street on which the Enquist’s house was located.
There is no indication in the court record that investigators determined the source of the call that ended in the arrest of the couple. Joshua Enquist, who had bonded out of jail after his arrest, was asked to come to the sheriff’s office and see if he could identify the voice.
The meeting never took place. According to the incident report, Ben Burnett who represents the couple called the sheriff’s office and said his client would not be showing up.
It has been speculated that the caller’s purpose might have been to draw attention to the Enquist couple as a way of alerting law enforcement that illegal substances were present in the home, and that it could have been based on a desire for revenge.
According to investigators, the bulk of the illegal substances found at the residence was in the main garage and a walk-in closet near the master bedroom.
Details of the search:
– Investigators found almost 18 pounds of processed marijuana in numerous plastic bags of various sizes, glass storage containers, plastic totes and cardboard boxes.
– A reported 4.4 pounds of THC wax was located. THC is the primary psychoactive component found in marijuana. The wax was found in various states of processing. Some was reported to have the consistency of peanut butter. Several “bricks” of the substance were also located. The bricks were said to have been separated into one-pound blocks.
– About 260 THC vape cartridges were located during the search. The largest number in the garage and a handful in the walk-in closet.
– Almost two pounds of processed mushrooms were found in what were described as 183 mylar bags apparently intended to be sold on the retail market. Each bag was found to contain about 3.5 grams.
– In the walk-in closet 19 1/2 bottles of THC syrup in various flavors were located. Investigators speculated the flavored syrup was being used to manufacture edible THC-laced candies. In close proximity to the bottles of syrup, a baking sheet and several silicone molds were found. There were three containers of THC candies found – two were in what was described as “retail-type packaging.”
– In addition, the investigators found items used to process and package various drugs and about $37,000 in cash. The cash was found in a back fireproof lockbox in a walk-in closet. Additional cash was found in various parts of the house.
– In addition to the drugs and cash, investigators also seized four desktop computer towers, a computer monitor, two laptop computers and a cellphone. According to the probable cause affidavit, separate search warrants were to be obtained to examine each of the devices.
According to the incident report, the packaging for the various products “had professionally printed logos and labels” setting it apart from the small plain plastic bags commonly used by those involved in drug sales.
Drugs had apparently been shipped to the residence. Investigators say the illegal substances were packed in one box which was nested inside a larger box. Spray foam was then put in the space between the boxes.
According to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, the foam is used mainly to mask the smell of the drugs that might lead to detection by law enforcement officers or drug detection dogs.
In addition to the spray foam some drug shippers use axle grease, coffee grounds, dryer sheets, garlic, mustard and pepper to mask the odor of illegal contents while being shipped.
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