Man pleads not guilty to delivering 26.4 pounds of cocaine to Welcome Center

Marcus Terrell Marshall is accused of delivering nearly $1.2 million in cocaine to the parking lot at the Welcome Center, but the exchange never occurred with an undercover officer, an agent with the Special Operations Unit of the Columbus Police Department testified Wednesday.

Marcus Terrell Marshall, 33, of Columbus pleaded not guilty to one count each of trafficking in cocaine, fleeing to elude police, obstruction of a police officer, a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, improper backing and possession of drug related objects after his 3:30 p.m. Monday arrest at 1751 Williams. His alleged accomplice, Kenneth James, 49, of Phenix City requested a delay of his hearing until 9 a.m. Friday to get his own attorney. He is charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of drug related objects.

Recorder’s Court Judge Julius Hunter ordered Marshall held without bond in the Muscogee County Jail on the trafficking charge and set bonds totaling more than $3,500 on the other charges. All charges were bound over for proceedings in Muscogee Superior Court.

Agent Will Basset told the court an undercover agent contacted Marshall earlier Monday to set up a deal for 10 kilograms of cocaine at the Welcome Center. Undercover officers were at the scene when Marshall arrived in a 2011 BMW X-5. Basset said James was in the passenger seat, but his 2001 Mercedes Benz S 5-Z was parked across the street at the Microtel Inn.

As agents approached the car, Marshall is accused of putting the vehicle in reverse, backing away in an attempt to flee from officers. He missed a police vehicle but struck a rental vehicle that belonged to a family at the center.

Marshall first refused to open the locked doors of the car but complied after uniformed officers appeared on the scene. Inside the BMW, officers found the powdered cocaine valued at $1,179,360 in four to five bundles in a box. The drug was wrapped in black tape.

The search of the vehicle led to a second search of Marshall’s apartment in the 7400 block of Blackmon Road. Officers found $24,000 in cash, a trace amount of marijuana and four weapons between the mattress. The guns were identified as a shotgun, an AK-47 type pistol, a 22-caliber pistol and a 9 mm Ruger.

Marshall was represented by defense attorney Stacey Jackson, but he stood silent during the hearing.

Police found no drugs in the Mercedes driven by James.

On Tuesday, Police Chief Ricky Boren said one of the largest cocaine drug busts in Columbus remains an ongoing investigation. It was a joint effort with the Drug Enforcement Administration, West Georgia Regional Drug Task Force of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This story was originally published October 18, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "Man pleads not guilty to delivering 26.4 pounds of cocaine to Welcome Center."