The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Saturday, May 2, at about 8:50 p.m., investigators with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Services Division, in a joint operation with the City of Orange Narcotics and Major Crimes Unit, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and the Beaumont Police Department K-9 Unit, performed a state search and arrest warrant issued by District Judge Courtney Arkeen. The warrant was effected at a residence located within the 100 Block of Claire Street, Vidor.

During the search of the residence, investigators located approximately one half pound of methamphetamine in a vehicle which belonged to a white male resident identified as Ben Doyle Vaughn III. Detectives contacted the City of Beaumont Police Department and requested the assistance of the Beaumont Police Department’s K-9 Unit.

The K-9 Units were deployed on the property and after an intensive search, the police dogs alerted on an area in the driveway. Investigators dug in the area that the K-9 Team alerted and uncovered an additional pound and a half of methamphetamine and a pound of marihuana that was buried in a sealed container approximately 6 inches deep in gravel and clay.

Inside the residence Detectives found two stolen firearms with an amount of United States Currency believed to be proceeds of methamphetamine sales.

Ben Doyle Vaughn III was arrested and transported to the Orange County Correctional Facility where he was charged with possession of a controlled substance penalty group 1 (methamphetamine) 1st degree felony, possession of marihuana greater that four ounces less than five pounds- state jail felony and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Vaughn was arraigned by Justice of the Peace Judge Dunn and his total bond was set at $130,200.

Vaughn was able to make bail on Sunday, May 3, and was released from the Orange County Correctional Facility.

This search warrant was the result of a six-month investigation into the illegal distribution of methamphetamine that had been impacting Jefferson and Orange Counties, the City of Orange and the Cities of Lake Charles and Sulphur La.

The agencies listed above were also assisted in the investigation by the City of Sulphur Police Department and the Texas Rangers-Beaumont Office.