Police: 'Fake drugs' at center of heroin deal gone bad - News - MailTribune.com - Medford, OR

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Police: 'Fake drugs' at center of heroin deal gone bad Weathers Thursday Mar 1, 2018 at 7:49 PM Mar 1, 2018 at 8:30 PM Nick Morgan Mail Tribune @mtcrimebeat Three days after he allegedly wore a mask and attempted to rob people in a Medford motel room for drugs and cash, Justin Dale Weathers suffered a minor gunshot wound and faces more robbery charges in an alleged Ashland drug deal gone bad. Weathers, 32, is among two men lodged in the Jackson County Jail on robbery charges after a gunshot wound to the arm brought him to the Providence Medford Medical Center emergency room at 6 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 22, according to a release issued by Medford police. The shooting happened during a heroin deal near Ashland motels on Clover Lane, according to documents filed by Medford police. Weathers and Cody Hanson, 32, allegedly set up a deal to pay Kyle Ludlow and another $800 for half an ounce of heroin. Court documents filed by police indicate that the buyers and sellers both had bad intentions. The half ounce of heroin was described as "fake drugs" in an affidavit filed by Medford police, while Weathers allegedly told police he and Hanson planned to rob the victim with a stun gun. When the robbery victim met Weathers and Hanson for the hand-off, Weathers allegedly attempted to use the stun gun, prompting a seller to draw a 9mm Hi-Point pistol. Wielding his own firearm, Weathers allegedly continued to menace him before chasing him by car. In the snowy conditions, Weathers and Hanson allegedly followed the man into Medford, where Weathers menaced him and another passenger with the gun. In an attempt to protect himself, Best allegedly fired four to five rounds into Hanson's vehicle. One of the rounds hit Weathers in the arm, the release said. Weathers was arrested after his release from the hospital Feb. 23, and lodged at the Jackson County Jail on robbery charges. He remains lodged in the jail on charges of first- and second-degree robbery, and on warrants for failing to appear on previous charges of possessing heroin and recklessly endangering a minor. During the investigation, detectives determined that Weathers and Hanson had been involved in a Feb. 19 robbery at the Travelers Inn in Medford. During that robbery, Weathers attempted to rob one of the victims of drugs and money while armed with a gun and wearing a mask, according to earlier news reports, but the attempt was thwarted, according to Medford police. Weathers, of the 6000 block of Rock Way in Central Point, pleaded not guilty to charges of first- and second-degree robbery Wednesday. He has a pretrial conference scheduled for March 12, according to court records. Hanson was arrested Wednesday during a traffic stop in Eagle Point. He remains lodged at the Jackson County Jail on $407,500 bail pending first- and second-degree robbery charges and on warrants for failing to appear in court on earlier first-degree theft charges. Ludlow is lodged in the Jackson County Jail without bail for violating his probation on prior first-degree theft and heroin-delivery convictions. The man who shot Weathers has not been charged in the case, court and jail records show. — Reach reporter Nick Morgan at 541-776-4471 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @MTCrimeBeat.