McMinnville drug raid leads to four arrests

Beu Coker

Russell McMillen

Betty Peterson

James Taylor

Updated: 10 a.m., Friday, Oct. 9, 2015

Four arrests were made Wednesday morning by the Yamhill County Interagency Narcotics Team, following service of a search warrant at 419 N.E. Johnson St., about a block from Cook Elementary School site.

Cook went out of service in 2008, but is now being brought back into use to provide additional office space for district staff and host online and alternative high school programs.

Arrested were:

n Beu Ryan Coker, 20, booked on $7,500 bail on one count of possession of a controlled substance/methamphetamine.

n Russell Sheldon McMillen, 30, booked on $522,500 bail on one count each of  delivery of a controlled substance/meth within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of a controlled substance/meth,first-degree child neglect and endangering the welfare of a minor.

n Betty Ilene Peterson, 32, booked on $22,500 bail on one count each of possession of a controlled substance/meth, first-degree child neglect and endangering the welfare of a minor.

n James Arthur Taylor, 42, booked without bail on a post-prison supervision violation.

McMillen and Peterson live at the Johnson Street address. Coker resides in Southeast McMinnville and Taylor is from Eugene.

There was one child present in the residence when the search warrant was served, a girl under 10 years old, according to Capt. Tim Symons of the McMinnville police. A detective was working Wednesday night on placing the child with a relative or in the custody of the state Department of Human Services.

Symons said investigators were “sifting through evidence” throughout the day.

The drug team was assisted by sheriff’s deputies and McMinnville police in serving the warrant, taking the suspects into custody and thoroughly searching the house. Traffic was detoured while law enforcement personnel were on scene.