PANAMA CITY BEACH — It was a bad day Wednesday to be an MDMA salesman on the beach.
Panama City Beach Police and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office arrested seven people Wednesday on charges of intending to distribute MDMA — an illegal drug commonly called “Molly” — in different areas along the beach. On one occasion, police initiated a foot pursuit when a man abandoned his fellow passengers from Georgia with a car allegedly containing cocaine, ecstasy and MDMA, according to arrest records.
PCBPD officers pulled over a red Mercury Grand Marquis at about midnight containing five men from Georgia: Johnny Lee Allen III, 23, Daraebium Barefield, 22, Deondre Brown, 22, Zedarrius Coleman, 23, and Deangelo Martez Harris, 23. K-9 officer Biest had alerted police to the car when it was parked in the Club La Vela parking lot, 8813 Thomas Drive. Officers followed the car to the Campers Inn parking lot where the men were ordered to get out of the car, PCBPD reported.
Allen was in the backseat and took off on foot north through the campground. Police followed behind as he jumped a fence into the campground, allegedly throwing out a plastic baggie when he landed, officers reported.
Police were able to wrangle Allen in the lagoon. As they walked back to the patrol car, the officer picked up the baggie, allegedly containing 15 MDMA capsules, where he saw Allen throw it out, police said.
The other four men were arrested when officers allegedly found 40 more capsules of MDMA, five grams of cocaine and 15 ecstasy pills hidden under seats within the car, according to court records. Each of the men was charged with possessing MDMA, cocaine and ecstasy with intent to distribute.
Allen was additionally charged with tampering with evidence and resisting arrest.
Another man, Jason Eric Gentry, 25, address unknown, was arrested on the beach after allegedly approaching people to sell ecstasy, according to BCSO reports. Officers said they found one MDMA capsule, a prescription pill and several marijuana “roaches.”
And Demondreo Shadarius Harris, 20, of Georgia, was arrested in the Subway parking lot on Thomas Drive after a traffic stop. Police reported he had 53 grams of marijuana and a bag containing 1.9 grams of MDMA.