Alert officers working Stall Road checked up on some folks hanging outside of Tri-County Apartments smoking dope and that led to the arrest of two people with pounds of weed and an ounce of cocaine. Officers found two pounds of weed and 28.9 grams (1 ounce) of cocaine in an apartment. Anthony Lavar Simmons and Shakira Nicole Washington were arrested. Simmons claims an address on Bream Road, another North Charleston apartment complex known for high levels of drug dealing. Washington claims an address at an apartment complex off of McMillan Avenue now known as Pine Crest, formerly known as St. Charles Place.
Washington has no prior general sessions court history in the tri-county area. We did find a Shakira Nicole Washington with a criminal history, but the date of birth and booking photos didn’t match. This Washington is now charged with PWID Marijuana, Trafficking Cocaine and Possession of A Firearm During a Violent Crime. Her total bond was set at $250,000 by Judge Lombard.
Anthony Lavar Simmons was charged with the same offenses and given the same total bond.
2014 has been a bad year for Simmons as it relates to his interactions with law enforcement. He has had a pretty good year when it comes to his interactions with bond judges, however. Yes, Simmons was free on bond at the time of this drug trafficking arrest.
In March he was charged with Habitual Traffic Offender. He was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond.
Simmons was arrested in July while out on bond on the HTO charge. He was charged with two counts of PWID Marijuana. He was given two more $10,000 personal recognizance bonds by Judge Lombard and immediately released so he could get back to managing his drug distribution enterprise.
As you can see from the latest arrest, none of these charges have interfered with Simmons’ drug dealing business. Let’s review the remainder of his criminal history in the 9th Circuit.
2003 Charges:
Possession of a Stolen Vehicle - Plead guilty. Sentenced to 15 days by Judge Thomas “Felon’s Friend” Hughston.
2004 Charges (Berkeley County):
Strong Arm Robbery - Plead guilty. Sentenced by Judge Deadra Jefferson to a YOA term not to exceed 6 years.
PWID Marijuana 3rd Offense (?) - Plead guilty. Sentenced to YOA term not to exceed 5 years, concurrent.
PWID Crack Near a School - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
1st Degree Burglary - Reduced to 2nd Degree Burglary by the 9th Circuit Solicitor. YOA term not to exceed 6 years, concurrent.
Assault & Battery High & Aggravated - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
Kidnapping - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
2008 Charges:
Forgery - Plead guilty. Sentenced by Judge Roger Young to 5 years, suspended in favor of 5 years probation.
2nd Offense Possession of Marijuana - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
2009 Charges:
4th Offense Possession of Marijuana - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
PWID Crack Cocaine - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
PWID Crack Near a School - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
Probation Violation - No action taken.
2010 Charges:
Possession of Crack Cocaine - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
Unlawful Carrying of a Pistol - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
Possession of a Stolen Pistol - Dismissed by the 9th Circuit Solicitor.
2012 Charges:
PWID Marijuana - Reduced to simple possession by the 9th Circuit Solicitor. Sentenced to 1 day by Judge James “Rainbows and Unicorns” Gosnell.
2013 Charges:
This record is a bit jacked up. It indicates Simmons was charged with the felony of Habitual Traffic Offender, but the charge was plead down to a non-criminal seatbelt violation by the 9th Circuit Solicitor. Judge James “Rainbows and Unicorns” Gosnell then sentenced Simmons to one day in jail (time served) for the non-criminal seatbelt violation. That sounds a little wonky - even illegal - to us.
As you can see, prior arrests, short prison sentences and easy bonds are no impediment to the criminally inclined. They know once they are done with law enforcement, the only cog in the machine actually doing it’s job on a regular basis, the trip through the court system is cake.
