Wilsonville man arrested for methadone trafficking

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, May 9, 2006

A 48-year-old Wilsonville man is being held in the Shelby County jail on a bond in excess of $1 million for trafficking methadone.

Leo Edward Poole Jr. of Wilsonville was arrested at his home in Wilsonville last Thursday by officers from the Shelby County Drug Task Force.

He is being held on $1 million bond for trafficking heroin (methadone), $20,000 for possession of a controlled substance and $10,000 for first degree unlawful possession of marijuana.

Capt. Ken Burchfield of the Shelby County Drug Task Force said Poole was actually arrested for trafficking of methadone.

He said two grams of methadone would have been unlawful possession but four grams carries the trafficking charge.

He said methadone is an opioid, as is heroin, and the charge is written as trafficking of heroin because of the wording of Alabama law in regard to opiods.

Burchfield said the first degree unlawful possession of marijuana charge came about because of a previous possession of marijuana conviction