Jaunes Dihon Ayers
"In my 15 years in narcotics here, I've only seen heroin once," he said. "Heroin is a very dangerous drug, mainly because it's such an addictive drug."
Salomonsky said agents arrested Jaunes Dihon Ayers, 29, of Madison after a months-long investigation.
Agents spotted the signature blue plastic bags - typical packaging for a single dose of heroin, about 0.2 grams - several months ago and began tracking the drug's progress.
Agents from the county and the Madison Police Department had been watching Ayers' apartment at 365 Shelton Road and finally obtained a search warrant, Salomonsky said.
Officers stopped Ayers about 3 p.m. Wednesday and found 14 grams of heroin in his car. When they searched his home, they found 2.4 pounds of heroin with a street value of about $300,000.
Ayers has been arrested multiple times on drug charges and the sheriff's office has been dealing with him since he was about 15 years old, Salomonsky said.
He has been arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana at least six times and for escaping from police custody twice, according to court records.
Because of the large amount of heroin, Ayers faces life without parole if he's convicted, Salomonsky said.
The investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected.
Until now, heroin has been fairly scarce in Madison County. Salomonsky said he wants to keep it that way.
"Our focus is to go to the main source, and I've been instructed to go where I need to go," he said. "The streets are a little safer today, but as soon as we get where we're going, it'll be a lot safer tomorrow."
