CENTRALIA, IL — Bail was set at $25,000 Wednesday in Marion County Court for a 21-year-old Centralia woman arrested Tuesday in a buy/bust operation by the Centralia Police Department. According to Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson, Brinesha Hall was taken into custody for Possession & Delivery of a Controlled Substance within 500 feet of a church and Resisting Arrest.

Dodson says in a continued effort to combat drug trafficking, the CPD conducted an enforcement/interdiction tactic that targets street level drug trafficking. Centralia Police Investigations Division set up officers covertly in an area where they had prearranged a drug purchase of what Hall had purported to be Fentanyl. The interdiction team reportedly witnessed the prearranged drug deal take place and after the transaction was completed, investigators from Centralia and Marion County as well as Patrol officers initiated the arrest of Hall in the act. Hall allegedly attempted to flee on foot once the transaction was complete with officers in pursuit. A citizen witnessing this exited his vehicle and stopped Hall, allowing officers to immediately take her into custody.

Twelve capsules containing the very dangerous substance suspected to be Fentanyl were reportedly recovered at the scene. Hall was processed and transported to the Marion County Jail. She appeared in court Wednesday where she was formally charged with Class 2 felony possession of fentanyl and misdemeanor resisting a peace officer. She’s next scheduled to appear in court March 17 for a preliminary hearing and first appearance with her court appointed attorney.

Dodson says the blatant open public sales of illicit drugs in the community cannot be tolerated as they diminish the sense of safety and security felt by the citizens. Reducing and or eliminating these types of open public sales is a priority for the Centralia Police Department to ensure the community feels safe in public spaces. This type of deliberate drug trafficking of the very deadly and dangerous drug known as Fentanyl in the community is of the utmost concern to Law Enforcement due to the high amounts of related overdoses and deaths associated with the drug.