Five-year-old child removed from drug house on Anastasia Island

Historic City News was informed by local police that a felony search warrant was executed yesterday morning at about 6:00 a.m. by members of the St Augustine Police Special Response Team and the Investigations Unit at a residence located at 101 West Carver Street on Anastasia Island.

According to spokesperson Cecilia Aiple, the search resulted in the arrest of six individuals and recovery of a significant number of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

According to the police report, after clearing the residence nine people were located inside; the six arrested, two men who police determined were not involved, and a five-year-old child in the home at the time. The child was released in care of the Department of Children and Families.

Historic City News was informed by local police that a felony search warrant was executed Tuesday morning at about 6:00 a.m. by members of the St Augustine Police Special Response Team and the Investigations Unit.  According to spokesperson Cecilia Aiple, the search resulted in the arrest of six individuals and recovery of a significant number of illegal narcotics and drug paraphernalia.

Officers arrived at the corner of Carver Street West and Arricola Avenue and proceeded to the residence located at 101 West Carver Street on Anastasia Island.  They knocked and entered the residence to serve the search warrant, finding and identifying eight adult occupants and a five-year-old child.

The adults were read the notification contained in the search warrant, followed by notification of their constitutional rights, read from a department issued card.  The young girl found in the home, was released at about 10:30 a.m., into the care of Officer Brittney Gillis from the Department of Children and Families.

Video recording of the notifications was completed by SAPD Detective Collins, who proceeded to record the inside and outside of the residence.

St Augustine Beach Police K9 Kilo and his handler, Officer Kline, performed an investigative sweep of the residence.  Kilo was photographed as he alerted, multiple times, in different rooms of the house.

Special Response Team Corporal Carroll reported entering the first bedroom to find Randall Laughlin and Marcey Forsythe.  They were completely naked on the bed in full view of the five-year-old child, who was sitting on the sofa.  In addition to a pornographic magazine observed inside the girls’ toy bin, Sgt Jon F Marston recovered a pack of Marlboro cigarettes and a metal pipe stuffed into the cushions of the sofa.  Three white rocks, which tested positive for cocaine, were located inside the cigarette pack.

Within reach of the child, police photographed, tested, and seized multiple plastic zip lock bags containing small amounts of a white powder that tested positive for cocaine.  Numerous paraphernalia items, including razor blades, were recovered from a close-by TV stand and coffee table.  Police observed another cigarette pack nearby.  When an officer picked it up, he reported that a large white rock fell out onto the table.  This rock also tested positive using a NIK cocaine detection wipe.

A records check revealed that Marcey Gayle Forsythe had an outstanding arrest warrant for grand theft in Jacksonville.  She was placed under arrest and transported to the jail by officer Bill Protami prior to the conclusion of the investigation. 

Randall Scott Laughlin explained that the illegal items inside the room belonged to “someone else” who had been staying at the residence.  Because of his lack of cooperation, Laughlin was not questioned further.  He was transported to the police station before being transported to the County Jail.

As the search continued, Officer Wayne R Ferrell and Detective Collins proceeded to search the next bedroom, occupied by Holly Laughlin and Terrance Scott.  According to the records of the St Johns County Property Appraiser, Officer Ferrell determined that Laughlin is the 100 percent owner of the residence.  Scott admitted to the officers that he owns all the personal property collected from his bedroom by police as evidence.

Detective Collins located the following items from Laughlin and Scott’s bedroom:

• a white rock on a small table near the sliding glass door
• a small glass crack pipe near the crack rock
• a cigarette pack containing two glass crack pipes
• a green grinder with marijuana residue
• a small glass container with marijuana located on a shelf by the glass door
• a pawn transaction form for Terrance Scott
• a small bag located inside the cushion of a recliner that contained a white substance testing positive for cocaine
• In the dresser next to the bed, police uncovered note pads that had names, money amounts, and “crack” written next to them.

James Ortolani was identified to be staying on the couch in the living room of the residence.

Officer Ferrell located a cigarette box containing a metal crack pipe on a coffee table next to his couch.  Because Ortolani was found living in a drug house while on felony probation, he was taken into custody and charged with violation of the terms of his probation.

Cpl. Ochkie located the following items in Tulinsky’s bedroom:

• located numerous items inside this bedroom
• located a glass pipe, a metal pipe and other miscellaneous paraphernalia
• located a brown envelope addressed to Tulinski on the night stand
• located a Ryobi box on the night stand containing drug paraphernalia
• located a small amount of marijuana in a glass container and a film canister
• located eight plastic baggies on the night stand which contained a white powder which tested positive for cocaine

Michael Tulinski was placed under arrest for possession of cocaine, marijuana under twenty grams, drug paraphernalia and occupying a drug dwelling.

All subjects were first transported to the PO before being transported to the St Johns County Detention Facility.  All items seized from the rooms were photographed prior to being moved. They were then submitted into evidence.  All photographs were attached to the report and submitted into evidence. The videos from the search warrant process were also burnt to disc and submitted into evidence.

A copy of the search warrant was given to Holly Laughlin, also a copy of the inventory and return was submitted into her property at the jail.

Nothing of evidentiary value was located inside the remaining two bedrooms.  The two men who reside in those rooms were released by police.

• Marcey Gayle Forsythe and Randall Scott Laughlin
• (Child Neglect, (2) counts of Cocaine Possession, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Occupying a drug dwelling.),

• Terrence Laquinn Scott
• (Two counts of Cocaine Possession, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Possession of Marijuana under 20 grams, and Occupying a Drug Dwelling.)

• Holly Lynn Laughlin
• (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Occupying a Drug Dwelling and an Open Warrant),

• James Vincent Ortolani
• (Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Occupying a Drug Dwelling and Violation of Probation),

• Michael George Tulinski
• (Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana under 20 grams, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Occupying a Drug Dwelling.)