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On Wednesday, January 25th, 2017 at 2:31 p.m., investigators from the Duluth Police Department, Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, Superior Police Department and Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 400 block of Mesaba Avenue. The search warrant was the result of an investigation into the suspected sale of controlled substances, specifically heroin, by people at that address. During the search investigators recovered over 100 grams of heroin, $3,807 in U.S. Currency, drug packaging and drug paraphernalia. Investigators arrested 37 year old Courtney Victor Prude, of Illinois, 25 year old Antonio Deandre Johnson Jr., also of Illinois, 43 year old Joanne Rose Smith, of Duluth and 27 year old Nicholas James Kent, also of Duluth. The search warrant was the fourth search warrant executed at this same residence by the LSDVCTF in the past 15 months related to the sale of heroin by occupants of the residence.

On Friday, January 27th, Courtney Prude, Antonio Johnson and Joanne Smith were all formally charged by the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office with Aiding and Abetting 1st Degree Sale of a Controlled Substance, a felony. Bail was set at $1,000,000 for Prude and Johnson. Bail was set at $75,000 for Smith. Smith also had an outstanding warrant for her arrest from St. Louis County. Nicholas Kent had been arrested for an outstanding warrant for his arrest from Carlton County.

Prude has convictions in Illinois for three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of Manufacturing/Delivery of a Controlled Substance and two counts of Manufacturing/Delivery of Marijuana.  Johnson has convictions in Illinois for three counts of Manufacturing/Delivery of a Controlled Substance, three counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance and Escape/Violation of Electronic Monitoring.  Smith has a conviction in Minnesota for 3rd Degree Sale of a Controlled Substance.