(Newark, DE 19702) New Castle County Police have arrested 35-year-old Erik Turlington of Newark for firearm and drug charges in the community of Smalleys Dam. On Tuesday, November 8, 2022, an officer with the Community Response Team was conducting proactive patrol in the community of Smalleys Dam. The officer observed a silver Mercury commit a traffic violation at which time a vehicle stop was conducted.

The officer contacted the driver of the vehicle who was identified as Erik Turlington. While speaking with the driver the officer smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Additional officers arrived on the scene at which time officers continued the investigation and conducted a search of the vehicle.

During the search, officers located a 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun with a loaded magazine, a separate loaded magazine, 200 tablets of prepackaged MDMA, over 46 grams of prepackaged marijuana, and $1,055.00 of suspected drug proceeds.

Erik Turlington, of Newark, was charged with one count of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, one felony count of manufacture/deliver/possession with intent to deliver a substance in a tier three quantity, one felony count of possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, one felony count of manufacture/deliver/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, one felony count of carrying a concealed deadly weapon, and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia not related to personal use.

Turlington was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court 11 and committed to Howard Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $160,251.00 cash bail.

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