From the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

On December 19th , 2019 at approximately 4:00 A.M., Special Agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) with assistance from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a traffic stop on Highway 101 at Cooks Valley. During their multi-week investigation, Agents received information that the occupant of the vehicle, Neil Eugene Kemp (age 57), is trafficking heroin throughout Humboldt County communities. Through their investigation, HCDTF Agents believed Kemp had purchased a large amount of narcotics in the Central Valley region of California.

Kemp.

During the traffic stop Kemp was detained without incident. A narcotics detection K9 from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office was deployed and alerted to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle.

Agents searched Kemp’s vehicle pursuant to a search warrant and located approximately 1 pound of heroin and a small amount of suspected fentanyl. Kemp was subsequently placed under arrest and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on narcotics violations. Kemp was out on bail at the time of the traffic stop on similar charges out of Sonoma County from August of this year.

Agents also executed a search warrant on Kemp’s residence located in Phillipsville. At this location, Agents discovered additional items associated with narcotics sales, packaging material, a small amount of methamphetamine, a small amount of heroin, and Xanax pills. A female was contacted at the residence but was not arrested.

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976 or the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 707-268-2539.