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BETHALTO – Three people were arrested, two on drug-related charges, in Bethalto last Wednesday – not connected to the three folks arrested at First Mid-America Credit Union in the village earlier that week.

William E. Atkins, 35, and Deborah A. Benton-Atkins, 32, both of the 200 block of Olive Street in Brighton made contact with officers in 100 East Grace Street in Bethalto. William Atkins was found to have a warrant from the Macoupin County Sheriff's Office. A third occupant in that vehicle, Gail A. Davis, 32, of the 14000 block of Fillmore Trail in Hillsboro was found to have an outstanding warrant in Madison County regarding a failure to appear.

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The Bethalto Police Department utilized canine assistance from the Wood River Police Department, and that canine officer alerted officers to the potential of narcotics in the vehicle. A subsequent search revealed what is suspected to be as many as 43 pills of Oxycontin and as much as four grams of a substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Because of that find, both Atkinses were charged with possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, and William Atkins was held for a failure to appear warrant from Macoupin County. Davis was held on the Madison County warrant.

“Pills are often the gateway drugs for people with this opioid crisis,” Bethalto Police Chief Craig Welch said early Friday afternoon. “This is a problem in Bethalto, but it's not just in Bethalto. It's in Alton, it's in the entire St. Louis area, it's everywhere.”

Lab results are pending regarding the suspected narcotics and all those charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

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Reporter Cory Davenport can be reached via call or text at (618) 419-3046 or via email at cory@riverbender.com

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