Pineville men arrested on narcotics related charges after a “Knock and Talk” Investigation

Pineville, LA (6/1/2023) – Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office reported RADE Agents arrested two Pineville men on narcotics related charges.

On May 26^th, 2023, Agents with the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit followed up on community complaints by conducting a “knock and talk” investigation at 100 Ray Lane in Pineville.  The complaints referenced Ronald Weatherford and William Hathorn who were allegedly selling narcotics from their residence.  As Agents began their investigation, they also discovered Hathorn had two active arrest warrants.  

When Agents arrived at the residence, they made contact with Weatherford and advised him why they were there.  While speaking with him after being invited inside the residence, Agents observed drug paraphernalia in plain view in a common area of the trailer house.  When asked if anyone else was in the residence, Weatherford advised agents that Hathorn was in his bedroom.  Agents contacted Hathorn in his bedroom and advised him they were there to arrest him for the outstanding warrants.  Due to observing the paraphernalia in plain view, Agents obtained a search warrant on the residence for narcotics.  

Once the search warrant was obtained, a search was conducted, and along with the drug paraphernalia located in plain view, a distribution amount of Methamphetamines was found in Weathterford’s bedroom and a small amount of Fentanyl was found in Hathorn’s bedroom.  

Weatherford and Hathorn were arrested without incident, transported, and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center on the narcotics-related charges.  Weatherford was booked for possession of CDS II (Methamphetamines) with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia.  Hathorn was booked for possession of CDS II (Fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia, two active arrest warrants, and a probation violation. 

Hathorn remains in jail at the time of this release, being held on a probation violation.  Weatherford was released the next day on a $10,500.00 bond

The Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit is a multi-jurisdictional team comprised of the Alexandria Police Department, Ball Police Department, Boyce Police Department, Cheneyville Police Department, Forest Hill Police Department, Glenmora Police Department, Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office Lecompte Police Department, McNary Police Department, Pineville Police Department, Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office, Woodworth Police Department, Grant Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the Rapides Parish District Attorney’s Office.

The RADE Unit continues to target individuals suspected of trafficking narcotics in the Central Louisiana area.  If you have information or would like to report any narcotics activity, you may do so by sending direct messages to the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/RADEunit/.

Arrestee:            
William Chase Hathorn, 37
Pineville, LA

• Charges:             
• possession of CDS II (Fentanyl)
• possession of drug paraphernalia
• failure to pay Woodworth PD
• contempt of court  
• probation violation

Arrestee:            
Ronald Dale Weatherford, 51
Pineville, LA

• Charges:             
• possession of CDS II (Methamphetamines) with intent to distribute 
• possession of drug paraphernalia