Whidbey Island police forces team up for big meth bust

A joint operation between three law enforcement offices Monday resulted in a significant methamphetamine bust and the arrest of a man suspected of being one of the biggest meth dealers on North Whidbey, according to Oak Harbor Police.

Detective Carl Seim, the drug enforcement officer with the Oak Harbor Police, said the police, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Island County Sheriff's Hard Entry and Arrest Team served the search warrant on the home just outside of Oak Harbor.

Seim said the police seized a large plastic bag filled with meth and several smaller bags with the drug from a car parked at the house. The total weight was 182 grams, which the detective said was has a street value of about $21,000.

"For the island, this is a large amount," he said.

In addition, the police seized $2,800 in cash from the car. Inside the house they found two pounds of odoriferous marijuana buds, worth about $6,000, according to Seim.

The police arrested the resident, 52-year-old Jerry Gumz, on suspicion of dealing meth and pot.

Seim said he got word about six months ago that Gumz was dealing meth in the community. Eventually, he and NCIS worked with a confidential informant who purchased meth from Gumz on four occasions, Seim said. Based on the drug buys, the detective was able to obtain the search warrant.

Seim said Gumz was dealing a significant amount of meth in the Oak Harbor area. The detective calculated that Gumz was bringing in about two pounds every 10 days.

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

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