SALINE CO.—A Harrisburg man known to be one of the city’s most prolific cocaine dealers, who was out on $15,000 cash bond after facing six felony drug indictments stemming from an arrest in October of 2009, has been arrested again after selling cocaine to undercover drug agents.
Winifred L. Moss, 53, of 724 Beggs Place, Harrisburg, was arrested last night (05.22.12) and charged with one count of Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance Within 1,000 of Real Property Compromising a Church.
Winifred Moss, left, talking with court security officer
The incident is said to have taken place May 4.
The church the drugs were sold near has been identified as Mizpah General Baptist Church on Roberts Street in Harrisburg, which is the same location named in the 2009 indictments against Moss.
The drug identified as being sold to undercover agents is cocaine, also the same as 2009.
“He considers himself a businessman like anybody else we have around here running a business,” a source close to the investigation told Disclosure.
Saline County State’s Attorney Mike Henshaw’s office has filed a Petition to Revoke the probation Moss was out on for the 2009 charges, which if granted would forfeit the $15,000 cash that put him back on the street in the first place.
Moss is currently being housed in the county detention center on $5,000 cash bond.
“We expect to begin prosecuting Mr. Moss on the 2009 charges on June 27,” Henshaw said.
While many wondered what was taking so long and although Henshaw himself declined to comment, insiders say the case had dragged on because of behind-the-scenes machinations of defense attorney Bryan Drew, who is known for dragging cases out as long as he can, either because the case is weak and the client wants to postpone going to prison or so he can soak his clients, charging for one appearance after another to beg for a continuance.
Henshaw did say that Moss is just one of numerous cases his office will prosecute this summer.
Henshaw added that the recent arrest of Moss was brought about by members of the Southern Illinois Drug Task Force, who prefer to keep their names out of print due to the sensitive nature of their work.
Formal charges in the case were filed by Assistant State’s Attorney Jason Olson with the arrest arrant signed by Judge Walden Morris.