Lance Martin/Herald Senior Staff Writer

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HALIFAX - A man suspected of moving large amounts of cocaine in the Roanoke Valley on a daily basis is in federal custody in South Carolina along with one of his alleged associates.

Halifax County Sheriff Jeff Frazier said Michael W. “Bubba” Carroll, 28, and William Donald “Bo” Bottoms, also 28, were apprehended by the South Carolina Highway Patrol last week and turned over to the federal Drug Enforcement Agency.

Frazier said the DEA requested that the amount of cocaine seized not be released. He said, however, it was a large quantity and that both men are in federal custody under no bond.

Carroll has long been a target of law enforcement for his alleged involvement in the local drug trade, Frazier said this morning. “He's a big player in our area.”

Carroll and Bottom's arrests are only the beginning of a major drug sweep that is targeting suspected large-scale dealers in the area. “With complaints from citizens and local intelligence there will be an ongoing investigation with state, local and federal authorities,” Frazier said. “We hope to make a difference in Halifax County and the surrounding area.”

The arrest of the two Roanoke Rapids men should take a large amount of cocaine off the street, Frazier said. “At the same time we've taken a large player off the street.”

Frazier said Carroll is suspected of dealing with trafficking amounts of cocaine on a daily basis and his alleged business included not only Roanoke Rapids but the surrounding area. He described Bottoms as one of Carroll's workers.

The sheriff said getting larger drug dealers is not an easy task. “We've been working this case a little over a year. It's hard to deal with the bigger dealers who have got the means to hide their efforts.”

Carroll was released from prison in 2004 after being convicted in 2003 for possession with intent to sell and deliver cocaine and several other charges, according to the state Department of Correction.