Four month investigation in Sioux Falls turns into drugs being seized, multiple people arrested

Over the last 4 months, an investigation has taken place focusing on a Sioux Falls resident suspected of distributing drugs. A search warrant was granted Tuesday (Dec. 14, 2021) for an address in the 6700 block of S Santa Rosa Place for a residence being rented to Joseph Damien Andrews. An arrest warrant was also granted for Andrews’ arrest with a $100,000 cash bond. The warrants were acted on yesterday morning starting at 11AM. When police went to serve the warrant, a man named Michael Lee Dickey entered the suspect residence, and around 12:45PM, Andrews exited the home with a 25 yo woman. Andrews and the woman got into a vehicle and left.

Highway Patrol troopers were assisting with the investigation and tried to pull Andrews over near 57th and Cliff, at which point Andrews led the troopers on a pursuit. The pursuit was stopped by the troopers due to the dangerous circumstances, and Andrews’ vehicle was found crashed a short distance away. Andrews was gone from the crash, but the 25yo woman was still in the passenger seat. She was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A gun was also found in the vehicle. Officers soon came across a serviceman who said his vehicle had been stolen, and police believed that it was stolen by Andrews due to the close proximity of the theft to the crashed vehicle. The serviceman and police utilized GPS inside the truck to locate it in the 900 block of S Blaine Ave. Detectives were aware of a known associate of Andrews who lived nearby, Carlos Deon Hardy. Hardy lives in the 900 block of S Cleveland Ave, and police suspected that Andrews was at his residence to hide. Hardy was being investigated in a separate case of drug distribution, and the search warrant for his residence was expedited yesterday due to the active nature of the Andrews case.

Police called SWAT in to assist at the Hardy residence in case Andrews was unwilling to cooperate. Hardy had left the residence already and was taken into custody by Highway Patrol not far from his home. Andrews was arrested at Hardy’s residence on S Cleveland Ave. without incident and was taken into custody. $3,000 was found on his person. While police had been working to find and arrest Andrews, Michael Dickey and Sharon Lynda Clairmont had also been arrested at Andrews’ residence. Below is a summary of what was found at each of the residences and who was arrested.

• Distribution of Controlled Substance
• Possession of Controlled Substance
• Maintaining a Place Where Drugs are Kept
• Possession of a Firearm by Former Drug Offender
• Commit Felony with Firearm
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana

• Possession of a Controlled Substance

• Maintaining a Place Where Drugs are Kept
  
• Possession of a Controlled Substance
• False Impersonation