By Jackson Gardner

The Chronicle

Two men who offered to be confidential sources for the Lewis County Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team after arrests in late September were arrested again about a week later for allegedly setting up another deal to sell heroin, court documents show.

Gerald B. Hutchison, 29, was charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver and conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance.

His co-defendant Joshua D. Perkinson, 28, was charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to manufacture or deliver and five counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.

The affidavit of probable cause gives the following account of their arrests: On Sept. 28, a confidential source for JNET tipped off officers that Hutchison would be driving to Chehalis to make several heroin deliveries that day.

Officers were aware that Hutchison was driving on a suspended license so when they observed him pull into the Home Depot parking lot in Chehalis they pulled him over.

When officers got Hutchison to step out of his car on suspicion of driving with a suspended license, he reportedly admitted to police that there were approximately 2 grams of heroin in the vehicle.

After a drug recognition K9 detected drugs in the car and Hutchison agreed to allow officers to search the car, they found 8 grams of powder heroin, two digital scales, packaging material and other drug paraphernalia.

Hutchison reportedly agreed to work with police and identified his drug supplier as his roommate, Perkinson. Hutchison told police they would be able to find 4 ounces of heroin with five to 10 firearms at his home in Nisqually Valley.

Perkinson was then contacted by police and consented to a search of his home. Police found precisely what Hutchison said they would find — 4 ounces of heroin and five firearms, two of which were loaded.

Perkinson reportedly also agreed to work with JNET detectives.

However, when JNET attempted to reach out to the two in the following days they got no response.

On Oct. 1, officers were informed that Hutchison and Perkinson were working together and continuing to sell heroin. On Oct. 7, JNET detectives learned that Hutchison and Perkinson were hiding out in Onalaska.

On the same day, another JNET informant set up a drug deal with the duo that was planned to meet in Grand Mound.

Officers located and arrested Hutchison and Perkinson in the back seat of a vehicle being driven by a woman at the location of the staged drug deal.