The suspected shooter in a July 4 shooting at Harrells Raceway has been arrested again, this time on drug charges.

Torrey Tremayne Frederick, 32, of 506 Yancey St., Warsaw, now faces eight charges, plus an addition four from outstanding warrants, after the car he was a passenger in stopped at a checkpoint early Sunday morning. Police, reports show, uncovered a half of kilo of cocaine, baggies of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

Frederick was charged in July with possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense related to a fatal shooting at the Harrells Raceway. According to officials with the Sampson County Sheriff’s Office, Frederick was in possession of one of the two guns fired in the July 4 shooting death of Timothy Lamont McKoy, 29, of Garland, at the raceway. McKoy had the other one.

Frederick has not been charged in the death of McKoy, and an investigation is ongoing.

Less than two months later, Frederick is being charged again, this time with felony drug offenses.

Reports from the Clinton Police Department indicate he was a passenger in a vehicle, along with Natasha Yvette Smith, 32, of 107 Matthews St., Warsaw, driven by Michael Dean Wallace, 46, of 1235 Rooks Road, Atkinson. The white GMC Sierra Z-71 pulled up to a vehicle checkpoint at Johnson Street and Fisher Drive in Clinton around 12:43 a.m. Sunday morning. When approached by law enforcement, Wallace handed officers a learner’s permit for a motorcycle that was expired.

Wallace was asked to pull the vehicle over to the side of the road. Officers noted that he did as asked, but moved the vehicle to an “unusual” distance from the police cars, got out and walked towards the officers. He was immediately asked to go back to his vehicle and pull it back closer to the patrol cruisers, which he did.

Officers noted that Frederick was in the passenger seat, Smith was in the back, and Wallace was acting “very nervous,” as if he couldn’t keep still.

Sensing something suspicious, officers began asking questions. Reports show that Wallace told officers he had just been to Walmart and he was headed home to Atkinson. Officers asked him why he would be traveling to Pender County via Johnson Street and Wallace allegedly told them he was working on a house and that had been his regular route of travel.

Officers then asked Wallace for a consent search and Wallace, reports show, told officers, “The vehicle belongs to my boss and I would not feel comfortable with you in the vehicle.”

The officers then asked if Wallace minded if K-9 Sarge could walk the vehicle. Wallace reportedly said, “go ahead.”

The K-9 officer alerted on the passenger side door, where Frederick was sitting, prompting the search.

During that search, officers seized scales, a measuring cup with white powder residue consistent with cocaine; Ziploc bags, butter knives and a black purse.

The purse in the back seat contained a rolled-up dollar bill and a red straw, both with white residue on them, reports show. Smith denied that the purse belonged to her.

More drugs were discovered when officers went back to where the vehicle had originally pulled off to the side of the road when it was first stopped There officers discovered a Ziploc bag with a white brick consistent with cocaine; a Ziploc bag with marijuana in it; and a black pistol, loaded with some ammunition The pistol was later discovered to have been stolen from Burgaw.

In all, officers seized 512.3 grams of cocaine; 21.8 grams of marijuana and the Smith and Wesson handgun.

“The officers did what they were supposed to do,” said police Capt. Jay Tilley. “They noticed suspicious activity and followed through with it.”

Tilley also gave kudos to Sarge. “He was instrumental in making this case, and by all of this coming together you have a half of a kilo of cocaine off the streets and three behind bars.”

Wallace and Smith were each charged with felony possession of cocaine.

Frederick was charged with trafficking cocaine; possession with intent to sell/deliver a schedule II controlled substance; possession with intent to manufacture/sell/deliver a schedule VI controlled substance; possession of a schedule VI controlled substance; maintaining a vehicle for controlled substance; possession of s stolen firearm; and possession of firearm by a felon. Frederick was also charged on four outstanding warrants from N.C. Aware.

He was placed under a $211,000 secured bond and given a trial date of Dec. 3.

According to the North Carolina Department of Corrections, Frederick has a history of convictions dating back to 1997. Those convictions include: larceny, robbery with a dangerous weapon and failure to heed light/siren (all from September 1997); felony breaking and entering (May 2003); misdemeanor breaking and entering and receiving/possessing a firearm (October 2003); assault with intent to inflict serious injury, possession of stolen goods, and larceny (September and December 2004); resisting an officer and assault on an officer/state employee (November 2004).

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@heartlandpublications.com.